Learning Fate
by LastTruth
Summary: It is the Autumn after Thalia's 'death', and the Three Fates have decided that the twelve Olympians must learn of the future. Thus, they've sent a certain set of demigods and five books into the past. Set after the events of The Lost Hero.
1. Chapter 1

Apollo lounged on his throne lazily; one leg thrown over the armrest and an arm tossed over the back of his seat. His eyes were half-lidded as he listened to the distant noises of Olympus. A flash of light made him tilt his head up, a cocky grin stretching across his face.

"Ah! There you all are!" He greeted cheerily, waving from his throne.

The eleven greater gods of Olympus gave their twelfth member looks that ranged from vaguely amused to incredibly exasperated. Apollo didn't seem to care however, as his grin did not waver.

"This had best be good, Apollo," Zeus grumbled, striding towards his throne with sweeping steps.

"Indeed," Hades added silkily, waving his hand to fashion his throne in its normal spot on Winter Solstice.

"It may not be good, but it's certainly important," Apollo told them as the rest took their seats. Swinging his leg off of the arm of his throne, Apollo sat straight, settling his elbows on his knees. "I'm afraid my Fates have picked up something rather... drastic."

"Oh?" Athena raised one fine brow. "Don't leave us in suspense, brother."

Apollo's look turned grim. "Something dark is stirring," he told them. "I cannot see what it is; but my Fates claim that they have."

"Something dark?" Artemis repeated sceptically. "Like what?"

"I could not say," for once, the sun god actually looked troubled. "Or rather, I'm not sure I want to say."

"You speak as if it is more than we could handle," Hera said slowly.

Apollo glanced at her. "It just might be."

"The only such being that could wield such a power would be a titan," Poseidon remarked, leaning back on his throne.

"Nonsense," Zeus snapped at his brother. "The titans are firmly locked away in Tartarus; correct, Hades?"

Hades was silent for a moment, his dark eyes glittering. "Tartarus is not fool-proof," he answered at last. "And I have noticed the cage seems to be... less."

"Less? As in weaker?" Demeter rolled her eyes. "Well go on and fix it then!"

"And how do you propose I do that?" Hades asked her darkly, causing her to fall silent.

"You cannot tell us anything, then?" Artemis demanded of her twin, the grip on her silver bow tightening.

"You said your Fates knew something, yes?" Athena added, eyeing him closely.

"I did," Apollo cocked his head to the side. "But they refuse to speak to me about it."

"How do you lose control over your own subjects?" Hermes asked, cocking a brow as he looked up from his caduceus/phone.

_You're one to talk,_ George hissed at him.

"Rack off!"

"Fate is not something to be tampered with," Apollo told him, a hint of darkness to his voice.

"Would they speak with us?" Poseidon asked after a moment. "I doubt you called us here only to speak of your fears, Nephew."

"Got that right, Uncle P," He nodded. "I'll call them in."

Less than a second after Apollo had spoken, the three Fate Sisters appeared in the room. The middle Fate was holding the ever-present electric blue yarn, knitting, weaving, stitching and cutting continuously; ignoring the others in the room, yet still seeming to watch. The sister on the left held three books whilst the sister on the right held two; both watched the gods with knowing eyes.

"_Fates we are_," one rasped. "_And Fates we see_."

"_The fate of one of Three glows brightly_." Another added, her voice just as rusted.

"_As passionate as the current; as loyal as the tide_." The third croaked darkly.

"_To match the one in the dark, biding his time; to strike out at this half-blood_."

"_To understand, you must see; to see you must feel_."

"_Your fates are tangled._"

"_Now we hand you the tools: will you cut, or will you tie_?"

"_The half and true must be ready_," the three said in unison before they disappeared in a burst of light and smoke.

"Fates: always so dramatic," Dionysus spoke dryly, rolling his eyes.

"Tis a curious riddle," Athena murmured, her eyes distant. "I wonder what it means."

"_'The fate of one of Three'_," Artemis mused, "I wonder who that could be."

"It sounds like a demigod," Aphrodite said loftily, combing her hair. "It said she is going to match the dark one, and the dark one is eager to meet this 'half-blood'."

"Camp Half-Blood, perhaps?" Hades murmured.

"Tis possible," Athena nodded slowly. "A demigod from Camp Half-Blood; what strikes me as odd, however, is the line Aphrodite missed."

"Hmm?" said goddess hummed in question, not really listening.

"_'As passionate as the current; as loyal as the tide'_," Athena looked towards Poseidon with a suspicious look. "Tis an obvious reference to water."

Poseidon cocked an eyebrow. "Have we not learnt this past summer of the dangers pertaining to a demigod child belonging to Zeus, Hades, or I?"

Zeus scowled, his face as dark as a thundercloud; his godly wife had an icy look in her eyes at the mention.

This past summer a child of Zeus had been killed. Young Thalia Grace had defended a daughter of Athena and a son of Hermes upon the hill of Camp Half-Blood before being struck down. Despite Zeus' typical aloofness towards his demigod children, all knew he had felt fondly of this girl-child who had fought so bravely for her companions. It was rare such bravery belonged to a human -even a part-human.

"We shall not speak of her," Zeus rumbled darkly.

Despite Zeus having ruled silence over the matter, Athena watched Poseidon's face closely, hoping to gain insight on the matter. The god, however, merely smirked at her; an insufferable smile/smirk that consistently set her teeth on edge every time she saw it. And blast him, but Poseidon knew it.

"Ignoring all of that," Ares grunted, adjusting his sun glasses. "What'd they mean by _'to understand, you must see; to see, you must feel'_."

"Sounds like we're going to be doing something involving this prophecy," Apollo shrugged.

"And these books," Athena murmured, catching their attention as she levitated the five books the Fates had left upon the floor.

"What do they say?" Hades asked, leaning forward somewhat in his throne.

"I do not know," Athena frowned. "Something has blurred the words and the picture; it is quite obviously in English, but the more I attempt to focus, the hazier it becomes."

"We must be missing a piece then," Apollo said, twirling an arrow between his fingers.

"But what piece?" Hera asked.

As the god of prophecies, Apollo knew when someone had stumbled across an important part to a puzzle. It didn't matter if he necessarily knew, or even understood, what that piece _was_; all he knew was that it was _there_. Almost as soon as he had registered that Hera had stumbled upon that piece, another flash of light and smoke broke through his realization. When it cleared, however, he was looking at five very distinct demigods.

"Woah!" One boy with curly black hair exclaimed.

"Where are we?" A girl with choppily cut hair murmured, her eyes wide as she stared up at the gods.

"Olympus," the word was hissed like a curse, and an angry-looking blonde girl stood there, glaring up at them. "Though, after the shut out, I couldn't imagine _why_."

"Annabeth," a dark haired girl with a silver circlet, marking her as a lieutenant of Artemis, gripped her arm. "Calm yourself, he's going to be perfectly fine. A few days away from working on the ship shouldn't make much difference."

"To you maybe," the curly-haired boy protested, "_I'm_ the one building the thing. We won't be able to find him unless I manage to get it done in time."

"Who is 'him'?" Athena asked shrewdly. "Another demigod?"

"You ought to know, he saved the entirety of Olympus!" Annabeth said, though it was said more emphatically than waspishly.

"No demigod has ever 'saved' Olympus," Zeus contradicted, his eyes looking dangerous now. "Explain yourselves."

"Hold up!" Apollo said called, hopping out of his throne and shrinking down to their level. Loping over to them, he inspected them carefully; upon realizing what they were, he reeled back. "Oh, _Styx_."

"What seems to be the problem?" Hera demanded with a frown.

"They're _time-travellers_!"

There was a brief silence, in which even the blonde, Annabeth, seemed to be snapped out of her horrible mood. Lightning crashed outside, making the demigods jump in surprise and the gods roll their eyes before turning to Zeus.

"Time-travel has been deemed illegal," he, well, thundered. "Explain yourselves!"

"Father!" Apollo threw his hands up in a placating gesture. "No, you don't understand! The _Fates_ brought them here."

"To combat this darkness?" Athena frowned. "Is it truly so horrible?"

"Did she not just say that one demigod was forced to save the whole of Olympus?" Poseidon pointed out, one eyebrow cocked.

"Shut your mouth, Poseidon," Athena snapped, a faint blush covering her cheeks.

"I'm only attempting to _enlighten_ you, my dear niece," he said dryly.

"Enough!" Zeus interjected, lightning flashing once more. "Apollo, you say your Fates have done this?"

"Yes, I'm positive," Apollo said, scratching his head. "Though, the 'why' thing is still up in the air."

"Perhaps they felt we needed help," Hera offered calmly. "That does seem to be the logical thought."

"Didn't they say that in their prophecy?" Aphrodite looked curious now, eyeing the five demigods closely.

"They did."

"Then that's why they're here," she said simply. "Athena, what are the titles to those books?"

Athena pulled out of her seething to levitate the books once again. "...they seem to centre around the tale of a boy named Percy Jackson."

Annabeth stiffened, her face becoming stricken at the name; the lieutenant of Artemis' looked just as distraught. Curiously enough, however, no one noticed the almost imperceptible tightening of Poseidon's grip on his trident.

"Who is this boy?" Zeus rumbled.

"Please; before I can answer that, what year is it?" Annabeth asked, her entire being seemed to ache with a terrible sadness.

Apollo gave her the number, watching as the five demigods tensed.

"Trippy," the curly-haired boy muttered.

"I can't believe it," the girl who, until this point, had been silent spoke in little more than a whisper. "We've gone back a decade!"

"A decade, you say?" Hera asked incredulously.

"Er... yes, ma'am."

"The Fates must have sent us back to deal with first Great Prophecy." Annabeth said, her voice belying a calmness she did not feel. "I don't know _why_ but they have."

"Great Prophecy?" Apollo demanded suddenly. "You're not speaking of the one that must-"

"Yes," Annabeth interjected. "I am."

"Hold," Athena spoke then. "What do you mean by 'first'?"

"Don't answer that," Apollo snapped suddenly, turning to glare at his sister. "I don't want to delve too far into the future than we already are!"

Athena silenced herself; knowing better than to push her brother when it came to his prophecies. They were a heavy burden upon him, and he took it better than most. Yet, there were times when it could push even he.

"Very well," she said after a moment. "However, I assume that the Fates wished us to read these books then? About young Percy Jackson?"

Apollo glared for a moment before relaxing slowly. "I would assume," he said grudgingly.

"Then," Hera stood and began making her way towards the demigods, shrinking as she did so, "it would be prudent to, perhaps, become more comfortable with one another? And that begins with knowing names, yes? And, of course," Hera eyed the other gods, "your parents."

Apollo wondered if Hera noticed the dark looks she was getting from these five demigods; if she did, she didn't acknowledge them. Either way, the blonde girl stepped forward, her back straight and her eyes dark.

"I am Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena." The blonde announced firmly.

Now that she said it, Apollo didn't know why he hadn't seen it before. Annabeth had curly blonde hair that was thrown up into a messy bun, tendrils falling out to frame her face; quicksilver grey eyes glanced between the gods sharply, though they always trailed back to her mother. She was a pretty young thing, wearing jeans and running shoes with an orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt underneath an over-sized dark blue sweater that obviously belonged to a boy.

"Alright then, since this is going to cause a commotion," the lieutenant of Artemis muttered before she looked up at the gods stubbornly. "I'm Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus."

Zeus inhaled sharply and Hera's eyes dimmed, a look of irritation briefly flashing across her face.

"I know, I know," Thalia held up her hands, "I got turned into a tree, but what can I say? I got better."

The curly-haired boy snorted loudly, blushing at the looks he got but unable to stop his chuckling. Zeus glared at him before standing carefully, shrinking as he walked towards his daughter.

"I wish to know how this happened," he murmured, eyeing her, but standing a good foot away.

Thalia Grace was a beautiful girl; which was only further realized with the silver aura shimmering about her as a huntress of Artemis (and Apollo could see that his twin just _itched_ to know how she became one of hers). Her black hair was cut to her shoulders, messy and spiky; a smattering of freckles danced across her nose and electric blue eyes met her father's with grim determination. She wore a dark blue t-shirt underneath a white jacket, and black cargoes with black boots. A quiver was slung over her shoulder with the bow tucked neatly beside it.

"If what I think is in those books, is in those books, you'll find out soon enough," Thalia told her father simply. "But don't get too hyped up; I've got my brother with me."

"Brother?" Hera blinked in surprise. "But he shouldn't be-"

"But I am," the tallest boy responded, taking a step to stand next to his sister. "Jason Grace, son of Jupiter."

Zeus twitched, like the name stirred something within him. But he quickly shook it away, they did not need a full blown meltdown over Roman versus Greek at this period. Still, the gods were uneasy. Why would a son of Rome be standing next to two daughters of Greece? What was happening with the future?

"Just to point it out," Annabeth said suddenly, "the reason why we have a mix between Rome and Greece has nothing to do with the first Great Prophecy."

"Which is why you said _first_ Great Prophecy, yes?" Athena asked rhetorically. "There was another one to happen."

"Yes," Annabeth sighed. "It's- it's the reason why Percy isn't- isn't with us."

"To make a long story short: Percy is the demigod leader of Camp Half-Blood," Jason told them calmly. "I am the, ah, equivalent in the Roman Camp. Let's just say that the second Prophecy is a little... skewed. Someone decided that the two camps had to be mixed together."

Jason certainly looked like the sort to be the leader of Camp Jupiter. He was a big guy with muscular and tanned arms; his Camp Jupiter tattoo stood out prominently on his forearm, the SPQR with twelve lines and an eagle proudly proclaiming his stature. His hair was blonde and just as messy as his sister's, both shared the electric blue eyes, a small scar stretched over the corner of his mouth. Jason was dressed in jeans and converse; his blue shirt had the words LEGEN (wait for it) DARY written on it in lightning bolts.

"Don't tell us anymore," Apollo told him, his eyes and voice were hard. "We _cannot_ know anymore until we need to."

"Right..." Jason muttered.

"Moving right along then," Hera recovered swiftly. "What are your names?"

She directed the question at the two who hung at the back. Perhaps they weren't as flashy as the other three, nor considered typical leaders; but both of them were powerful. The girl glanced at the boy uncertainly, and he shrugged before stepping forwards with a big grin on his face.

"Hey there," he greeted, "the name's Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus."

The blacksmith god who, until this point, had been quiet, began chuckling. A fiery sort of look started up in Hephaestus' dark eyes and he smirked; ignoring the odd looks that he got as he surveyed his son.

Leo had curly black hair, tanned skin, dark brown eyes and slightly pointed ears. In a word, he looked downright mischievous; certainly a little -pardon the pun- _screwy_. He was slimmer than the others, less fit. Though that could be because he was an engineer and not a warrior like them; at least, not a warrior in the traditional sense. Leo wore dark trousers with red converse, black suspenders running up his chest in thin lines. His shirt was dark green with a picture of duct tape and the words: I'll get my tool kit. A leather brown tool-belt was crooked and low on his hips, though the way his hands kept fiddling with certain pockets; Apollo figured that it wasn't your average, run-of-the-mill tool-belt.

"Okay," the final demigod sighed before looking up. "And I'm Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite."

Alright, Apollo had to admit, that one threw him a little.

She was a beautiful Cherokee girl, no denial. But judging by the lack of effort she put into her looks, she wasn't as obsessed with her beauty as most demigod children of Aphrodite were. Her hair was choppily cut, like someone had gone hacking at it, except for the two fine braids that framed her face. Her eyes were something else, however; they seemed to be mere swirls of light that constantly changed from brown to blue to green. Piper's grey jeans were just a touch too big, the hems were frayed and white from her stepping on them, and the knees matched; a leather belt also sat crooked on her hips, though this one carried a dagger -Katoptris, if Apollo were any guess. Her shirt, like Annabeth, was the same Camp Half-Blood orange.

"Wonderful," Hera smiled charmingly, though it seemed a touch force when it came to Thalia and Jason. "Now, come. We must head into a more... suitable area." With that, the queen of Olympus swept away.

"Why does it sound like we're going to be sacrificed?" Leo grumbled, as their group hesitantly trudged after her.

"Because she's the Goddess of Family and Marriage; therefore we, as illegitimate children, really get on her nerves?" Annabeth offered.

"Ah, good point."

"You'd think she'd be nicer," Piper mumbled.

"Oh trust me, my darling dove," Aphrodite said, sweeping up beside her daughter, "Hera's always this way. You'll get used to it."

Annabeth's jaw clenched and that hard look came back into her eyes. Apollo wondered what had happened to cause such a rift between a daughter of Athena and the Queen of the Gods. True, Hera had made clear her irritation with the demigods' presence made times before; but she also knew that they _needed_ them. In a way that was almost terrifying to contemplate. Suddenly, Apollo couldn't help himself, he began cackling.

"I thought Dionysus was the God of the Crazies?" Leo wondered thoughtfully.

"Pardon me?!"

"Woah!" Leo leapt about a foot in the air in surprise, spinning to find Dionysus on his heels. "Super ninja god-i-ness!"

"That's not a word."

"Not the point, Annabeth!" Leo shook his head. "Jeez, warn a brotha next time!"

"You're nuts, Leo," Jason sighed, a small grin tugging at his mouth.

"Nuts and bolts!" He agreed cheerily. "Now, what were you laughing about, sun-dude?"

"This is going to be fun," Apollo grinned broadly. "I don't need to be psychic to know that much!"

* * *

I'm going to second Apollo on this one.

Now, why am I doing this? Quite simple, really. I wanted to. I wanted to create my own version of this story that found the balance between humour and seriousness. I found that most people wrote the gods and characters as either really flamboyant and crazy, or as ridiculously somber. I'm not saying all did, but a fair amount.

Thus, here we are.

Hope you all enjoyed!

~FountainPen


	2. The Lightning Thief

In under twenty minutes, the five demigods and twelve gods had filed into a room away from the main bustle of Olympus. The room was, like most places on Olympus, open and airy; it was a fairly-sized dome with opened windows and low couches, all centred around a coffee table. Hera settled into a spot delicately and smiled serenely as everyone entered.

Hera sat on the left of Zeus on a loveseat; Hades sat in an armchair to Zeus' right. To Hera's left was a loveseat carrying Ares and Aphrodite; almost immediately, the goddess of love placed her feet in her boyfriend's lap, smiling at him sweetly. Behind these two was another armchair taken by Hephaestus, the smith god purposely choosing a place outside of the circle. To the right of Aphrodite was an armchair taken by Athena, and to the right of her was a long couch holding Artemis, Apollo, and Hermes. Back across the room, to the left of Hades, was another long couch, this one holding Dionysus, Demeter, and Hestia. Poseidon was the final god to sit in the last armchair in the room. The biggest couch was taken by the demigods. It was easily big enough for five people to sit on it with extra space, the five demigods sat: Annabeth, Thalia, Leo, Piper, Jason.

"Now then," she said, Athena having placed the five books on the large coffee table in the middle of the room, "do we have an offer to read the first chapter?"

"I'll do it," Jason said, standing carefully and taking the book from the goddess. "I'd like to know more about my counterpart."

"Remember, Percy was twelve when this all started," Annabeth pointed out. "He might not be what you expect at first."

Jason nodded and picked up the first book before heading back to his seat. Piper smiled at him when he sat back down and Aphrodite's eyes twinkled with amusement at the way that Jason looked at her.

"What's it called?" Piper asked.

"Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief."

"Indeed?" Athena murmured thoughtfully.

Jason blinked and looked back at the book. "Alright then," he muttered before saying, "Chapter one: **I**** Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-algebra Teacher."**

"How do you even _do_ that?" Leo asked, grinning broadly.

"Loads of practice," Apollo snickered.

**Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood.**

"Amen to that," Thalia scoffed, crossing her arms. "I don't think any half-blood _did_."

"Well, isn't that lovely," Demeter scoffed in reply.

"Don't get me wrong: it's nice to have an understanding of why you're-" here Thalia grimaced, "-different. But it's not all that much better once you _do_ know."

"If anything, it gets worse," Jason added, looking grim.

**If you're reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is: close this book right now. Believe what ever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.**

"Not going to happen," Piper sighed. "It's a since-birth thing. Normalcy doesn't exist for people like us."

"Ah, normalcy is overrated anyways," Apollo laughed, though it sounded a touch strained. "Who cares?"

**Being a half-blood is dangerous. It's scary. Most of the time, it gets you killed in painful, nasty ways.**

"How many ways can you die? Let me count the ways!" Leo said dramatically, making Jason snicker.

**If you're a normal kid, reading this because you think it's fiction, great.**

"Implying that mortals will be able to read this?" Athena mused aloud. "Curious."

**Read on. I envy you for being able to believe that none of this ever happened.**

**But if you recognize yourself in these pages—if you feel something stirring inside—stop reading ****immediately. You might be one of us. And once you know that, it's only a matter of time before **_**they **_**sense it too, and they'll come for you.**

"If they haven't come already," Dionysus rolled his eyes. "Really, nothing stays hidden for long."

"Granted, you're a god, so you're definition of long is different from ours," Piper pointed out. Dionysus gave her an unamused look.

**Don't say I didn't warn you.**

**My name is Percy Jackson. I'm twelve years old. Until a ****few****months ago, I was a boarding student at Yancy Academy, a private school for troubled kids in upstate New York.**

**Am I a troubled kid?**

Thalia and Annabeth snorted.

**Yeah. You could say that.**

Poseidon chuckled quietly, looking highly amused and intrigued.

**I could start at any point in my short miserable life to prove it, but things really started going bad last May, when our sixth-grade class took a field trip to Manhattan— twenty-eight mental-case kids and two teachers on a yellow school bus, heading to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at ancient Greek and Roman stuff.**

"It's not a bad collection, all things considered," Piper said thoughtfully. "Though, nothing beats actually _going_ there."

"Have you gone then, my dove?" Aphrodite asked her as she combed her hair.

"I did," Piper nodded, her expression slipping into a frown. "I- couldn't really describe it. Just that it was..." she shivered, "odd. Like I was treading over a- over something I shouldn't."

**I know—it sounds like torture.**

Annabeth scoffed and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Of course he'd think that," she muttered. Across the room, Athena looked equally displeased.

**Most Yancy field trips were.**

"Wait, back up," Leo suddenly said. "I think you're gonna have to take that back, Annabeth."

"Why?" She frowned.

"Because he specifically mentioned _Yancy_ field trips. So, it wasn't the trip itself, but -like- the people on it with him." Leo pointed out.

Annabeth's frown deepened and she stretched to read the book over Jason's shoulder. After a moment (and much struggling with her dyslexia), Annabeth sat back and nodded. "You're right, Leo," she replied.

"Booyah! One for the flame-man!"

"You mean firecracker," Piper sniggered, flicking his ear. Leo, rubbing his ear, did the dignified thing and stuck his tongue out at her.

"'Flame-man'?" Athena questioned him, raising a brow.

"Er..." Leo smiled sheepishly and raised his palm, fire bursting out of his hand.

"He has pyrokinesis," Annabeth explained.

"Tis a rare gift," the goddess of wisdom looked impressed.

"Not one of my kids have been born with that gift in hundreds of years," Hephaestus admitted. "Leo's one of a kind."

Leo flushed, looking pleased with the praise.

**But Mr. Brunner, our Latin**

Jason's mouth quirked slightly; a look so completely his father that Hera found herself smiling.

**teacher, was leading this trip, so I had hopes.**

**Mr. Brunner was this middle-aged guy in a motorized wheelchair. He had thinning hair and a scruffy beard and a frayed tweed jacket, which always smelled like coffee.**

"Ah," Annabeth smiled, "Chiron. That's right, Percy told me about this. I must've forgotten."

"That's Chiron?" Piper blinked. "Seriously?"

"I know, must be killer on the centaur's legs, am I right?" Apollo shook his head. "You'd never catch a Party Pony pulling that!"

"Party Ponies aren't much like Chiron, twin," Artemis pointed out dryly.

"I don't care."

**You wouldn't think he'd be cool, but he told stories and jokes and let us play games in class. He also had this awesome collection of Roman armour and weapons, so he was the only teacher whose class didn't put me to sleep. I hoped the trip would be okay. At least, I hoped that for once I wouldn't get in trouble.**

Thalia laughed. "_Please_, way to jinx it, Perce!"

"You do realize you're talking to a book, yes?" Dionysus scoffed.

Thalia's smile slid off of her face and she scowled at him. "Percy's been missing for months," she told him frostily. "Excuse me if I'm taking the chance to remember him now."

"Don't talk like that!" Annabeth snapped, sitting shock-straight. "You act like he's not coming back!"

Thalia's scowl softened. "Sorry, Annabeth," she sighed.

"Sounds like you're both quite fond of this Percy Jackson," Aphrodite remarked offhandedly.

"He's like my brother- or a cousin," Thalia smirked with some inside joke. "Nothing more."

Annabeth just shrugged and looked away calmly, trying to hide the screaming inside of her head.

**Boy, was I wrong.**

"Sucks, kid," Apollo chuckled.

**See, bad things happen to me on field trips. Like at my fifth-grade school, when we went to the Saratoga battlefield, I had this accident with a Revolutionary War cannon.**

"An 'accident', eh?" Hermes sniggered. "I wonder what happened.

**I wasn't aiming for the school bus, but of course I got expelled anyway.**

Hermes burst into hysterical laughter.

**And before that, at my fourth-grade school, when we took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Marine World shark pool, I sort of hit the wrong lever on the catwalk and our class took an unplanned swim.**

"Su~ure," Leo cackled; Hermes laughing with him.

**And the time before that... Well, you get the idea.**

"Poor young Perseus,

With his luck as bad as rot

Go on, tell us more!"

"That was horrible," Artemis rolled her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Apollo sniffed, "you just don't have any taste."

**This trip, I was determined to be good.**

**All the way into the city, I put up with Nancy Bobofit, the freckly, redheaded kleptomaniac ****girl, hitting my best friend Grover** **in the back of the head with chunks of peanut butter-and-ketchup sandwich.**

"Dude, grossirific!" Leo mimed puking. "Who eats peanut butter with ketchup? That's like- an insult to peanut butter!"

"Grossirific isn't a word, either."

"Annabeth," Leo grinned, "I am combining 'horrific' and 'gross' in one. Stop harshing my vibe."

"You sound like my twin brother," Artemis remarked dryly.

**Grover **

Zeus' eyes twitched at the name; he was almost certain that it was the name of the brat who had gotten his daughter killed.

**was an easy target. He was scrawny. He cried when he got frustrated. He must've been held back several grades, because he was the only sixth grader with acne and the start of a wispy beard on his chin. On top of all that, he was crippled.**

"Crippled?" Hades rolled his eyes. "I doubt that."

**He had a note excusing him from PE for the rest of his life because he had some kind of muscular disease in his legs. He walked funny, like every step hurt him, but don't let that fool you. You should've seen him run when it was enchilada day in the cafeteria.**

Annabeth smiled. Good old Grover.

**Anyway, Nancy Bobofit was throwing wads of sandwich that stuck in his curly brown hair, and she knew I couldn't do anything back to her because I was already on probation.**

"Did Percy really get in trouble that much?" Piper asked with a frown.

Thalia gave a sideways look towards the gods before looking back at the other girl. "Percy's just one of those kids," she told her.

Annabeth couldn't hide her smile. It was just like Thalia to be able to give a sideways answer. Percy was just one of those kids; if they knew nothing of his parentage, then it just sounded like he had rotten luck. If they knew who his father was, however...

**The headmaster had threatened me with death by in-school suspension if anything bad, embarrassing, or even mildly entertaining happened on this trip.**

Hermes made a face. "Did he have to add the last one?"

**"I'm going to kill her," I mumbled.**

**Grover tried to calm me down. "It's okay. I like peanut butter."**

Dionysus made a scoffing noise.

**He dodged another piece of Nancy's lunch.**

**"That's it." I started to get up, but Grover pulled me back to my seat.**

Annabeth shook her head.

**"You're already on probation," he reminded me. "You know who'll get blamed if anything happens."**

**Looking back on it, I wish I'd decked Nancy Bobofit right then and there. In-school suspension would've been nothing compared to the mess I was about to get myself into.**

"Ah, blatant foreshadowing," Apollo grinned. "So much fun!"

**Mr. Brunner led the museum tour. He rode up front in his wheelchair, guiding us through the big echoey galleries, past marble statues and glass cases full of really old black-and-orange pottery. It blew my mind that this stuff had survived for two thousand, three thousand years.**

"Longer than that," Athena shook her head with a small smile.

**He gathered us around a thirteen-foot-tall stone column with a big sphinx on the top, and started telling us how it was a grave marker, a **_**stele, **_**for a girl about our age. He told us about ****the carvings on the sides. I was trying to listen to what he had to say, because it was kind of interesting, but everybody around me was talking, and every time I told them to shut up, the other teacher chaperone, Mrs. Dodds, would give me the evil eye.**

**Mrs. Dodds was this little math teacher from Georgia who always wore a black leather jacket, even though she was fifty years old.**

"So... she's Ares?" Apollo asked innocently, ducking the pillow that got chucked at his head.

**She looked mean enough to ride a Harley right into your locker.**

"Don't make me deck you," Ares grunted at his brother, glaring.

**She had come to Yancy halfway through the year, when our last math teacher had a nervous breakdown.**

"Please, near a demigod?" Thalia shook her head. "No way, bet you it's a monster."

"Ten bucks."

"You're on, Valdez."

**From her first day, Mrs. Dodds loved Nancy Bobofit and figured I was devil spawn.**

"No, that'd be Nico," Thalia muttered to Annabeth.

"So he's sea spawn?"

"Damn straight." The two girls laughed quietly.

**She would point her crooked finger at me and say, "Now, honey," real sweet, and I knew I was going to get after-school detention for a month. One time, after she'd made me erase answers out of old math workbooks until midnight, I told Grover I didn't think Mrs. Dodds was human. He looked at me, real serious, and said, "You're absolutely right."**

"Point one for my team," Thalia hummed.

Leo rolled his eyes. "No way, too obvious!"

"Unless it's so obvious, it's not obvious," Apollo pointed out with a grin.

Leo's jaw dropped and clapped his ears in horror. "Nooo! Don't do that, man! My brain'll go funky!"

"Disco," Piper laughed.

**Mr. Brunner kept talking about Greek funeral art.**

**Finally, Nancy Bobofit snickered something about the naked guy on the stele,**

"Mature," Athena sniffed.

**and I turned around and said, "Will you **_**shut up**_**?" It came out louder than I meant it to.**

"Of course it did," Annabeth sighed.

**The whole group laughed. Mr. Brunner stopped his story. "Mr. Jackson," he said, "did you have a comment?"**

**My face was totally red. I said, "No, sir."**

**Mr. Brunner pointed to one of the pictures on the stele. "Perhaps you'll tell us what this picture represents?"**

**I looked at the carving, and felt a flush of relief, because I actually recognized it. "That's Kronos eating his kids, right?"**

"Of course it was that one," Poseidon sighed, his grip reflexively tightening.

"Isn't this also blatant foreshadowing?"

"Shut up, Leo."

Luckily, no one except the demigods heard Leo's comment.

**"Yes," Mr. Brunner said, obviously not satisfied. "And he ****did****this because ..."**

**"Well..." I racked my brain to remember. "Kronos was the king god**

Zeus scoffed loudly, an unimpressed look on his face.

**and—"**

**"God?" Mr. Brunner asked.**

**"Titan," I corrected myself. **

"He got there in the end," Poseidon said mildly, glancing towards the domed ceiling.

"_'God'_," Zeus scoffed again.

**"And ... he didn't trust his kids, who were the gods. So, um, Kronos ate them, right? But his wife hid baby Zeus, and gave Kronos a rock to eat instead.**

"It was a close likeness," Hades deadpanned.

"Very much so," Poseidon added, his face straight.

Zeus scowled at the both of them.

**And later, when Zeus grew up, he tricked his dad, Kronos, into barfing up his brothers and sisters—"**

**"Eeew!" said one of the girls behind me.**

"Yes, it was not a pleasant experience," Hera wrinkled her nose.

**"—and so there was this big fight between the gods and the Titans," I continued, "and the gods won."**

"He made it sound easy, didn't he?" Thalia rolled her eyes.

**Some snickers from the group. Behind me, Nancy Bobofit mumbled to a friend, "Like we're going to use this in real life. Like it's going to say on our job applications, 'Please explain why Kronos ate his kids.'"**

"Because he was a paranoid shit," Hades scoffed. "Why else?"

"Woah, anger much?" Apollo muttered.

"He got eaten by his father, cut him some slack." Hermes snorted in reply.

**"And why, Mr. Jackson," Brunner said, "to paraphrase Miss Bobofit's excellent question, does this matter in real life?"**

**"Busted," Grover muttered.**

"Love it when the bad guy gets slammed," Leo's grin was lop-sided.

**"Shut up," Nancy hissed, her face even brighter red than her hair.**

**At least Nancy got packed, too. Mr. Brunner was the only one who ever caught her saying anything wrong. He had radar ears.**

"Heh, horse radar," Apollo sniggered.

**I thought about his question, and shrugged. "I don't know, sir."**

**"I see." Mr. Brunner looked disappointed.**

"Don't really see an answer to that either," Leo muttered.

"It's a warning," surprisingly, it was Jason who answered, "Kronos ate the gods because he was paranoid of them killing him, because he killed his own father. So, ironically, his own paranoia became his downfall."

Leo looked at him and frowned. "And if you're not a paranoid guy?"

"Not the point, Leo," Jason snorted.

**"Well, half credit, Mr. Jackson. Zeus did indeed feed Kronos a mixture of mustard and wine, which made him disgorge his other five children, who, of course, being immortal gods, had been living and growing up completely undigested in the Titan's stomach. The gods defeated their father, sliced him to pieces with his own scythe, and scattered his remains in Tartarus, the darkest part of the Underworld. On that happy note, it's time for lunch. Mrs. Dodds, would you lead us back outside?"**

**The class drifted off, the girls holding their stomachs, the guys pushing each other around and acting like doofuses.**

"So like regular kids then?" Apollo sniggered.

**Grover and I were about to follow when Mr. Brunner said, "Mr. Jackson."**

**I knew that was coming. I told Grover to keep going. Then I turned toward Mr. Brunner. "Sir?"**

**Mr. Brunner had this look that wouldn't let you go— intense brown eyes that could've been a thousand years old and had seen everything.**

"Well..."

"We get it, Apollo."

"Spoilsport."

**"You must learn the answer to my question," Mr. Brunner told me.**

**"About the Titans?"**

**"About real life. And how your studies apply to it."**

**"Oh."**

**"What you learn from me," he said, "is vitally important. I expect you to treat it as such. I will accept only the best from you, Percy Jackson."**

"Wouldn't it be more effective to use his whole name?" Leo asked. "I think it'd get the point across better."

"Percy doesn't care much for his full name," Annabeth told him simply. "He gets downright irritated when anyone calls him Perseus... Well, except for a few people."

"Like you?" Aphrodite asked, smiling charmingly.

Annabeth didn't dignify that with an answer.

**I wanted to get angry, this guy pushed me so hard. I mean, sure, it was kind of cool on tournament days, when he dressed up in a suit of Roman armour and shouted: "What ho!'" and challenged us, sword-point against chalk, to run to the board and name every Greek and Roman person who had ever **_**lived, **_**and their mother, and what god they worshipped. But Mr. Brunner expected me to be as good as everybody else, despite the fact that I have dyslexia and attention deficit disorder and I had never made above a C- in my life. **

"Well, in this setting, perhaps he won't be as good," Piper said. "But in the proper place..."

**No—he didn't expect me to be **_**as good; **_**he expected me to be **_**better. **_**And I just couldn't learn all those names and facts, much less spell them correctly.**

**I mumbled something about trying harder, while Mr. Brunner took one long sad look at the stele, like he'd been at this girl's funeral.**

"Probably," Athena murmured. For a moment, the gods were solemn; as if thinking of all of the favourites they had lost over the years.

**He told me to go outside and eat my lunch.**

**The class gathered on the front steps of the museum, where we could watch the foot traffic along Fifth Avenue. Overhead, a huge storm was brewing, with clouds blacker than I'd ever seen over the city.**

"Someone's angry," Hermes said lightly, before glancing down at his caduceus/phone and muttering a curse in Ancient Greek.

**I figured maybe it was global warming or something, because the weather all across New York State had been weird since Christmas. We'd had massive snow storms, flooding, wildfires from lightning strikes.**

"Sounds as if both Zeus and Poseidon are upset," Dionysus muttered, sipping a diet coke.

Both aforementioned brothers frowned at this.

**I wouldn't have been surprised if this was a hurricane blowing in.**

**Nobody else seemed to notice. Some of the guys were pelting pigeons with Lunchables crackers. Nancy Bobofit was trying to pickpocket something from a lady's purse, and, of course, Mrs. Dodds wasn't seeing a thing.**

**Grover and I sat on the edge of the fountain,**

Annabeth smiled.

**away from the others. We thought that maybe if we did that, everybody wouldn't know we ****were from **_**that **_**school—the school for loser freaks who couldn't make it elsewhere.**

**"Detention?" Grover asked.**

**"Nah," I said. "Not from Brunner. I just wish he'd lay off me sometimes. I mean—I'm not a genius."**

**Grover didn't say anything for a while. Then, when I thought he was going to give me some deep philosophical comment to make me feel better, he said, "Can I have your apple?"**

Annabeth and Thalia laughed.

**I didn't have much of an appetite, so I let him take it.**

**I watched the stream of cabs going down Fifth Avenue, and thought about my mom's apartment, only a little ways uptown from where we sat.**

Poseidon's jaw clenched.

**I hadn't seen her since Christmas. I wanted so bad to jump in a taxi and head home. She'd hug me and be glad to see me, but she'd be disappointed, too. She'd send me right back to Yancy, remind me that I had to try harder, even if this was my sixth school in six years**

"Better record than me," Piper blinked in surprise. "Not bad."

**and I was probably going to be kicked out again. I wouldn't be able to stand that sad look she'd give me.**

"Momma's boy," Ares scoffed.

"Yes, isn't it lovely, my son?" Hera asked Ares sweetly.

"Ah..." Ares smiled awkwardly. "Yes, Mother."

Hephaestus snorted as Apollo and Hermes tried to quiet their sniggers.

**Mr. Brunner parked his wheelchair at the base of the handicapped ramp. He ate celery while he read a paperback novel. A red umbrella stuck up from the back of his chair, making it look like a motorized cafe table.**

**I was about to unwrap my sandwich when Nancy Bobofit appeared in front of me with her ugly friends—I guess she'd gotten tired of stealing from the tourists—and dumped her half-eaten lunch in Grover's lap.**

**"Oops." She grinned at me with her crooked teeth. Her freckles were orange, as if somebody had spray-painted her face with liquid Cheetos.**

"Ew," Aphrodite wrinkled her nose. "Not attractive."

**I tried to stay cool. The school counsellor had told me a million times, "Count to ten, get control of your temper." But I was so mad my mind went blank. A wave roared in my ears.**

Poseidon's mouth quirked.

**I don't remember touching her, but the next thing I knew, Nancy was sitting on her butt in the fountain, screaming, "Percy pushed me!"**

**Mrs. Dodds materialized next to us.**

**Some of the kids were whispering: "Did you see—"**

**"—the water—"**

**"—like it grabbed her—"**

For a moment, the room froze before the gods turned, as one, to look at Poseidon. Zeus' eyes narrowed and Hades scoffed, muttering something like 'him too?' under his breath.

"You said you did not have a demigod child," Zeus rumbled from between grit teeth.

"I never said that," Poseidon looked as cool as a mountain river. "I said, hadn't we already learnt the dangers."

"You have a son."

"I have many, please be more specific."

"By my lightning, Poseidon!" Zeus roared, leaping to his feet. "We took that oath for a _reason_!"

Still, Poseidon didn't move, or even break his calm expression; but from her experience with Percy, Annabeth could see the dangerous swirl in Poseidon's eyes.

"We did," he agreed mildly. "But I was only following my dear brother's example."

Zeus glared, seething; as the rest of the gods took glances at the Grace siblings. Thalia glared, crossing her arms over her chest and Jason rolled his eyes, scowling at the looks.

"Do not bring them into this." Zeus snapped.

"Then do not question me about my own," Poseidon returned, the dangerous swirl become more like a whirlpool every passing second.

"You claim the boy?!"

"He is mine," Poseidon's voice dropped to a dark hiss. "And I'll not have you touching him."

The sound reminded Annabeth of those tales where the sea monster would slide from water, that same, slow hiss with just the rumble of water crashing down.

"You-"

"If you dare to suggest that my son ought to be killed, I suggest that you take the initiative." Poseidon nodded towards Jason and Thalia. "Go on, _brother_."

There was a long silence at this proclamation. Finally, Zeus let out a noise that sounded like the most dangerous of thunder before he strode back to his seat. Poseidon's eyes tracked the movement until Zeus had dropped down into his seat; from there, his body relaxed ever so slightly and he turned back to Jason. As eyes slowly returned to him, Jason began to read once again, his voice just a touch quieter now.

**I didn't know what they were talking about. All I knew was that I was in trouble again.**

**As soon as Mrs. Dodds was sure poor little Nancy was okay, promising to get her a new shirt at the museum gift shop, etc., etc., Mrs. Dodds turned on me. There was a triumphant fire in her eyes, as if I'd done something she'd been waiting for all semester.**

Poseidon's jaw tightened.

**"Now, honey—"**

**"I know," I grumbled. "A month erasing workbooks."**

**That wasn't the right thing to say.**

"Never guess the punishment," Hermes said loftily, still eyeing the two gods warily. "It'll only make it worse."

**"Come with me," Mrs. Dodds said.**

**"Wait!" Grover yelped. "It was me. **_**I **_**pushed her."**

**I stared at him, stunned. I couldn't believe he was trying to cover for me. Mrs. Dodds scared Grover to death. She glared at him so hard his whiskery chin trembled.**

"Good old Grover," Thalia smiled halfheartedly.

**"I don't think so, Mr. Underwood," she said.**

**"But—"**

**"You—**_**will**_—**stay—here."**

**Grover looked at me desperately.**

**"It's okay, man," I told him. "Thanks for trying."**

**"Honey," Mrs. Dodds barked at me. "**_**Now**_**."**

**Nancy Bobofit smirked. I gave her my deluxe I'll-kill-you-later stare.**

"Is it a good evil-stare or a bad evil-stare?" Leo questioned, trying to break the still simmering tension.

"It's actually pretty damn good," Thalia told him, determined not to look at either her father or her uncle. "One thing about Percy: you do _not_ mess with his friends."

"That type of loyalty can be dangerous," Athena commented idly.

**Then I turned to face Mrs. Dodds, but she wasn't there. She was standing at the museum entrance, way at the top of the steps, gesturing impatiently at me to come on.**

**How'd she get there so fast?**

**I have moments like that a lot, when my brain falls asleep or something, and the next thing I know I've missed something, as if a puzzle piece fell out of the universe and left me staring at the blank place behind it. The school counsellor told me this was part of the ADHD, my brain misinterpreting things.**

**I wasn't so sure.**

"Not bad instincts, even if he is a brat." Ares snorted before flinching at the look Poseidon gave him.

**I went after Mrs. Dodds.**

**Halfway up the steps, I glanced back at Grover. He was looking pale, cutting his eyes between me and Mr. Brunner, like he wanted Mr. Brunner to notice what was going on, but Mr. Brunner was absorbed in his novel.**

"Well, that isn't good," Hermes snorted.

"Are you talking about Chiron or your phone?"

"Both."

**I looked back up. Mrs. Dodds had disappeared again. She was now inside the building, at the end of the entrance hall.**

**Okay, I thought. She's going to make me buy a new shirt for Nancy at the gift shop.**

**But apparently that wasn't the plan.**

**I followed her deeper into the museum. When I finally caught up to her, we were back in the Greek and Roman section.**

"Over dramatic much?" Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Not to mention cliched," Leo snorted.

**Except for us, the gallery was empty.**

**Mrs. Dodds stood with her arms crossed in front of a big marble frieze of the Greek gods. She was making this weird noise in her throat, like growling.**

"And here come the monster attacks," Annabeth sighed. "Might want to fess up that money now, Leo."

**Even without the noise, I would've been nervous. It's weird being alone with a teacher, especially Mrs. Dodds. Something about the way she looked at the frieze, as if she wanted to pulverize it...**

**"You've been giving us problems, honey," she said.**

**I did the safe thing. I said, "Yes, ma'am."**

Annabeth shook her head, knowing that this type of obedience must have irked him horribly.

**She tugged on the cuffs of her leather jacket. "Did you really think you would get away with it?" The look in her eyes was beyond mad. It was evil.**

**She's a teacher, I thought nervously. It's not like she's going to hurt me.**

As one, without a single look of amusement -not even from Leo-, all five demigods gave disbelieving scoffs.

**I said, "I'll—I'll try harder, ma'am."**

**Thunder shook the building.**

Zeus scowled and lightning flashed outside.

**"We are not fools, Percy Jackson," Mrs. Dodds said. "It was only a matter of time before we found you out. Confess, and you will suffer less pain."**

**I didn't know what she was talking about.**

"Ignorance is certainly an irritating thing," Athena shook her head.

**All I could think of was that the teachers must've found the illegal stash of candy I'd been selling out of my dorm room.**

"Not bad, kid," Hermes snickered.

**Or maybe they'd realized I got my essay on **_**Tom Sawyer **_**from the Internet without ever reading the book and now they were going to take away my grade. Or worse, they were going to make me read the book.**

Annabeth and Athena both made strangled noises.

**"Well?" she demanded.**

**"Ma'am, I don't..."**

**"Your time is up," she hissed.**

**Then the weirdest thing happened. Her eyes began to glow like barbecue coals. Her fingers stretched, turning into talons. Her jacket melted into large, leathery wings. She wasn't human. She was a shrivelled hag with bat wings and claws and a mouth full of yellow fangs, and she was about to slice me to ribbons.**

"Brother," Poseidon's voice was storm-calm. The type of calm that came just before a horrendous storm were to hit. "I do hope you have a good reason for sending a _fury_," a taste of the hurricane slipped through on the word, "after my son."

Hades' look darkened.

**Then things got even stranger.**

**Mr. Brunner, who'd been out in front of the museum a minute before, wheeled his chair into the doorway of the gallery, holding a pen in his hand.**

Annabeth sat up straight, a curious look in her eyes.

**"What ho, Percy!" he shouted, and tossed the pen through the air.**

**Mrs. Dodds lunged at me.**

**With a yelp, I dodged and felt talons slash the air next to my ear.**

Ares gave a great bellowing laugh of amusement.

**I snatched the ballpoint pen out of the air, but when it hit my hand, it wasn't a pen anymore. It was a sword—Mr. Brunner's bronze sword, which he always used on tournament day.**

"_Anaklusmos_," Annabeth breathed, her eyes sparking with intrigue.

**Mrs. Dodds spun toward me with a murderous look in her eyes. My knees were jelly. My hands were shaking so bad I almost dropped the sword.**

**She snarled, "Die, honey!"**

"Alright, that right there?" Leo pointed out. "Little creepy."

"Doesn't this mean that you lost the bet, Leo?" Piper asked innocently.

"And that right there?" Leo grumbled as he dug the bill out of his pocket and slapped it into Thalia's hand. "Little crappy."

**And she flew straight at me.**

**Absolute terror ran through my body. I did the only thing that came naturally: I swung the sword. The metal blade hit her shoulder and passed clean through her body as if she were made of water. **_**Hisss!**_

Ares laughed again, a great sound right from the gut. "Not bad, for a kid of old barnacle beard," he said.

Poseidon cocked a brow at the nickname and flicked his fingers, a douse of water immediately poured over Ares; forcing him out of his seat and onto the floor. The war god spluttered pathetically before another large dose pushed him back to the floor. When Poseidon finally stopped, half the room was cracked up from laughing and the other half was struggling to hide it.

"That," Poseidon remarked calmly, "is Lord Barnacle Beard to you."

Needless to say, it took a while for the laughing to stop.

**Mrs. Dodds was a sand castle in a power fan.**

And that just set them off again.

"Styx," Leo cackled. "We should just put Poseidon and Percy in a room and figure out who's the funniest."

"Sucks for you, Smith," Hermes sniggered, "we don't need to breathe; you do."

"Dude!" Leo protested, a shit-eating grin on his face. "Such a way to go!"

**She exploded into yellow powder, vaporized on the spot, leaving nothing but the smell of sulphur and a dying screech and a chill of evil in the air, as if those two glowing red eyes were still watching me.**

**I was alone.**

**There was a ballpoint pen in my hand.**

**Mr. Brunner wasn't there. Nobody was there but me.**

"Alright," Leo said, still chuckling faintly. "That kind of sucks."

**My hands were still trembling. My lunch must've been contaminated with magic mushrooms**

Hermes snorted.

**or something.**

"Or something," Hermes agreed.

**Had I imagined the whole thing?**

**I went back outside.**

**It had started to rain.**

**Grover was sitting by the fountain, a museum map tented over his head. Nancy Bobofit was still standing there, soaked from her swim in the fountain, grumbling to her ugly friends. When she saw me, she said, "I hope Mrs. Kerr whipped your butt."**

Poseidon frowned at this.

"The Mist works fast," Annabeth muttered.

**I said, "Who?"**

**"Our **_**teacher.**_ **Duh!"**

**I blinked. We had no teacher named Mrs. Kerr. I asked Nancy what she was talking about. She just rolled her eyes and turned away. I asked Grover where Mrs. Dodds was.**

**He said, "Who?" But he paused first, and he wouldn't look at me, so I thought he was messing with me.**

"That kid," Hermes pointed to the book, "needs lying lessons."

**"Not funny, man," I told him. "This is serious."**

**Thunder boomed overhead. I saw Mr. Brunner sitting under his red umbrella, reading his book, as if he'd never moved. I went over to him.**

**He looked up, a little distracted.**

"Bet you it's not from the book," Piper muttered.

**"Ah, that would be my pen. Please bring your own writing utensil in the future, Mr. Jackson."**

**I handed Mr. Brunner his pen. I hadn't even realized I was still holding it.**

**"Sir," I said, "where's Mrs. Dodds?"**

**He stared at me blankly. "Who?"**

**"The other chaperone. Mrs. Dodds. The pre-algebra teacher."**

**He frowned and sat forward, looking mildly concerned. "Percy, there is no Mrs. Dodds on this trip. As far as I know, there has never been a Mrs. Dodds at Yancy Academy. Are you feeling all right?"**

"No, I'm tripping the frak out," Leo snorted. "Dude, not cool."

"That's the end of the chapter," Jason said, looking up. "Who's next?"

"Toss it, Flash," Apollo held out his hand.

"Flash, really?" Jason rolled his eyes but obliged and tossed the book.

"Yes, really," Apollo answered before opening the book. "Now then," he proclaimed. "Chapter two: Three Old Ladies Knit the Socks of Death."

* * *

I forgot to mention, but the majority of the t-shirt ideas come from either or .

Hope you all enjoyed!

~FountainPen


	3. Chapter 3

**Three Old Ladies Knit the Socks of Death**

"Oh crap, death socks!" Leo whispered. "Dun-dun-duuuuuuun!"

"He's talking about Fates, you jerk," Piper smacked his shoulder. "The Three Fates, remember?"

"...okay, let's be fair: it's a hell of a lot more difficult to be all evil and stuff when you're knitting _socks_. Which," he added quickly, glancing sideways at Thalia, "I bet they probably are."

"No dice," Thalia snorted. "I'm going to keep a hold on these ten bucks, thanks."

Leo pouted.

**I was used to the occasional weird experience, but usually they were over quickly.**

**This twenty-four/seven hallucination was more than I could handle. For the rest of the school year, the entire campus seemed to be playing some kind of trick on me. The students acted as if they were completely and totally convinced that Mrs. Kerr—a perky blond woman whom I'd never seen in my life until she got on our bus at the end of the field trip—had been our pre-algebra teacher since Christmas. Every so often I would spring a Mrs. Dodds reference on somebody, just to see if I could trip them up, but they would stare at me like I was psycho.**

"Does anyone else feel like that was a perfect set-up?" Leo asked, his pout still going.

"Lad," Hephaestus rumbled. "What are you building?"

"Wha-?" Leo looked down at the thing he was tinkering with in his hands. "Oh!" He grinned broadly and set the metal contraption on the floor. It was a tiny robot monkey with cymbals in it's hands; for a moment, it sat motionless, then it began to chatter and clap and it bounced forward.

"Is it playing Flight of the Bumblebees?" Annabeth asked incredulously.

"Yep!" Leo laughed. "Only piece of classical music I can really listen to."

Hephaestus' laugh was stolid and rumbling, like the roar of a blacksmith's fire. "Impressive," he said at last.

Leo gave a mock-bow in his seat. "I try," he said with a grin.

**It got so bad I almost believed them—Mrs. Dodds had never existed.**

"Someone really doesn't want this kid to know about his heritage," Hades muttered.

"Might have something to do with the fury," Demeter told him, causing him to glare.

**Almost.**

"Mist is never totally accurate on demigods," Athena said, shaking her head.

**But Grover couldn't fool me.**

"That and the satyr can't lie," Dionysus snorted.

**When I mentioned the name Dodds to him, he would hesitate, and then claim she didn't exist. But I knew he was lying.**

**Something was going on. Something **_**had **_**happened at the museum.**

**I didn't have much time to think about it during the days, but at night, visions of Mrs. Dodds with talons and leathery wings would wake me up in a cold sweat.**

The demigods winced.

"Ah, demigod dreams," Thalia shook her head. "I am so glad that the majority got curbed when I became a Huntress."

Artemis looked like she wanted to question how, exactly, Thalia became a huntress. But one look at her twin told her it probably wasn't the best question.

**The freak weather continued, which didn't help my mood. One night, a thunderstorm blew out the windows in my dorm room. A few days later, the biggest tornado ever spotted in the Hudson Valley touched down only fifty miles from Yancy Academy. One of the current events we studied in social studies class was the unusual number of small planes that had gone down in sudden squalls in the Atlantic that year.**

"That cannot be a coincidence," Athena frowned.

**I started feeling cranky and irritable most of the time.**

"Do you think that's because of what his father is doing or because of the Mrs. Dodds thing?" Piper asked.

"That... is an excellent question," Athena said, looking curious. "Does what the god do affect their demigod child? A brilliant question..."

**My grades slipped from Ds to Fs.**

**I got into more fights with Nancy Bobofit and her friends. I was sent out into the hallway in almost every class.**

"I wonder how often he started them," Jason murmured.

"It's not so much he starts them as he loses his temper," Annabeth sighed. "Remember, we all reflect certain aspects of our parents."

Jason frowned. "Yeah, but Percy's the son of N- sorry... Poseidon, right? That's water, and I figured a temper as a fire sort of thing."

"Hey!" Leo protested. "I don't have a temper!"

"He didn't mean you, Leo," Piper nudged him.

"Well, look at it like this," Annabeth continued, "you ever stepped into a whirlpool?"

"No," Jason shook his head, confused as to where this was going.

"Why not?"

"Well- it'd pull me down and I'd drown."

"Exactly," Annabeth nodded.

"...I don't get it," Thalia shook her head. "That made no sense."

"What my daughter is trying to convey," Athena spoke up suddenly, "is that all bodies of water carry currents. Some currents are simple, like a stream, or the beach; others are like a whirlpool that pull you under. The ocean is made up of separate currents that are as powerful as a roaring inferno; perhaps more-so, as the current doesn't stop."

"Oh," Jason nodded. "So it's like... comparing a passion to a current, and currents rarely ever change, right?"

"Unless you want to wait around a few thousand years," Poseidon chuckled, a touch of something dark to his voice, "then no."

"Percy is a loyal person," Annabeth told him. "_That_ is a current that will probably never change; so it's like stepping into the centre of a whirlpool, he can't stop once he starts."

"Huh," Jason blinked. "Never thought of it that way."

**Finally, when our English teacher, Mr. Nicoll, asked me for the millionth time why I was too lazy to study for spelling tests, I snapped. I called him an old sot. I wasn't even sure what it meant, but it sounded good.**

Dionysus' eyebrows raised. "It means an old drunkard," he said delicately.

"And you'd know?" Leo asked innocently.

"I will turn you into a ferret, boy," Dionysus grunted at him before pulling another diet coke from thin air.

**The headmaster sent my mom a letter the following week, making it official: I would not be invited back next year to Yancy Academy.**

**Fine, I told myself. Just fine.**

**I was homesick.**

Ares snorted loudly. "Wuss."

"I think it's sweet," Aphrodite gave him a cold look. "He loves his mother."

"Which is more than most demigods can say about their human parent," Thalia scoffed.

Piper, Annabeth, and Jason all winced; Leo just looked away. Hermes looked pained and Poseidon's eyes became glassy, Hades' face darkened and Zeus looked grim.

**I wanted to be with my mom in our little apartment on the Upper East Side, even if I had to go to public school and put up with my obnoxious stepfather and his stupid poker parties.**

"Oh yes," Annabeth scowled darkly, folding her arms across her chest. "_This _guy."

**And yet... there were things I'd miss at Yancy. The view** **of the woods outside my dorm window, the Hudson River in the distance, the smell of pine trees. I'd miss Grover, who'd been a good friend, even if he was a little strange.**

"Probably thought the same of him," Apollo couldn't help but say.

**I worried how he'd survive next year without me. I'd miss Latin class, too—Mr. Brunner's crazy tournament days and his faith that I could do well.**

**As exam week got closer, Latin was the only test I studied for. I hadn't forgotten what Mr. Brunner had told me about this subject being life-and-death for me. I wasn't sure why, but I'd started to believe him.**

Annabeth exhaled slowly.

**The evening before my final, I got so frustrated I threw the **_**Cambridge Guide to Greek Mythology **_**across my dorm room.**

"I know that feel, bro," Leo snorted.

**Words had started swimming off the page, circling my head, the letters doing one-eighties as if they were riding skateboards. There was no way I was going to remember the difference between Chiron and Charon,**

Annabeth had a sudden coughing fit.

**or Polydictes and Polydeuces. And conjugating those Latin verbs? Forget it.**

Jason chuckled. "Easier than Ancient Greek."

"Yeah, 'cause you're Roman," Piper snorted, shoving him; Jason just laughed.

**I paced the room, feeling like ants were crawling around inside my shirt. I remembered Mr. ****Brunner's serious expression, his thousand-year-old eyes. **_**I will accept only the best from you, Percy Jackson. **_**I took a deep breath. I picked up the mythology book.**

**I'd never asked a teacher for help before. Maybe if I talked to Mr. Brunner, he could give me some pointers. At least I could apologize for the big fat F I was about to score on his exam. I didn't want to leave Yancy Academy with him thinking I hadn't tried.**

"Yeah," Thalia smiled a touch sadly. "Chiron's the good sort."

**I walked downstairs to the faculty offices. Most of them were dark and empty, but Mr. Brunner's door was ajar, light from his window stretching across the hallway floor. I was three steps from the door handle when I heard voices inside the office. Mr. Brunner asked a question. A voice that was definitely Grover's said,** _**"...**_ **worried about Percy, sir."**

"Isn't everyone?" Annabeth said, bitterness and worry coating her words.

**I froze.**

**I'm not usually an eavesdropper,**

Thalia rolled her eyes and shook her head, a fond smile back in place.

**but I dare you to try not listening if you hear your best friend talking about you to an adult. I inched closer.**

"Dude," Leo snorted, "impossible."

"Agreed," Hermes grinned.

"You eavesdrop anyways, Hermes," Hera sniffed. "Do not be silly."

_He can't help it,_ George the snake told her simply.

"Hush you!"

**"... alone this summer," Grover was saying. "I mean, a Kindly One in the **_**school**_**! Now that we know for sure, and **_**they **_**know too—"**

**"We would only make matters worse by rushing him," Mr. Brunner said. "We need the boy to mature more."**

Annabeth winced slightly and Poseidon frowned.

**"But he may not have time. The summer solstice deadline—"**

**"Will have to be resolved without him, Grover. Let him enjoy his ignorance while he still can."**

Athena frowned darkly. "Chiron and I shall be having words about this," she said seriously. "Ignorance is not, nor has it ever been, bliss."

"Didn't the kid go on a half-page rant right at the beginning about staying ignorant of your own bloodline?" Apollo snorted.

"He was a twelve year old child," Athena replied. "His response is understandable; Chiron's is not."

**"Sir, he **_**saw **_**her..."**

**"His imagination," Mr. Brunner insisted. "The Mist over the students and staff will be enough to convince him of that."**

**"Sir, I ... I can't fail in my duties again." Grover's voice was choked with emotion. "You know what that would mean."**

Zeus snarled suddenly. "So, he was the satyr."

"Father, it was my choice," Thalia said firmly. "I _chose_ to try and protect my friends; Grover had nothing to do with my death."

Zeus looked at his daughter. "I care not," he told her.

"You wouldn't," she muttered.

**"You haven't failed, Grover," Mr. Brunner said kindly. "I should have seen her for what she was. Now let's just worry about keeping Percy alive until next fall—"**

**The mythology book dropped out of my hand and hit the floor with a thud.**

"Well, there goes that," Hermes said cheerfully.

**Mr. Brunner went silent. My heart hammering, I picked up the book and backed down the hall.**

"Quick thinking," Apollo praised.

**A shadow slid across the lighted glass of Brunner's office door, the shadow of something much taller than my wheelchair-bound teacher, holding something that looked suspiciously like an archer's bow.**

"Well, Percy must be freaking out right about now," Thalia said matter-of-factly.

**I opened the nearest door and slipped inside.**

**A few seconds later I heard a slow **_**clop-clop-clop, **_**like muffled wood blocks,**

"Coconuts!" Leo hissed with glee.

Jason groaned. "We are never watching Monty Python with you again."

"To Camelot- ack!" Thalia had smacked him in the face with a pillow, causing the demigods and a few gods to crack up.

**then a sound like an animal snuffling right outside my door. A large, dark shape paused in front of the glass, and then moved on.**

**A bead of sweat trickled down my neck.**

**Somewhere in the hallway, Mr. Brunner spoke. "Nothing," he murmured. "My nerves haven't been right since the winter solstice."**

"What happened at winter solstice?" Piper wanted to know.

"You'll find out soon enough," Annabeth replied grimly.

**"Mine neither," Grover said. "But I could have sworn ..."**

**"Go back to the dorm," Mr. Brunner told him. "You've got a long day of exams tomorrow."**

"Must suck having to do all those exams over again," Leo winced in sympathy. "Remind me never to be a satyr."

"It doesn't work like that, genius," Jason snorted.

**"Don't remind me."**

**The lights went out in Mr. Brunner's office. I waited in the dark for what seemed like forever. Finally, I slipped out into the hallway and made my way back up to the dorm. Grover was lying on his bed, studying his Latin exam notes like he'd been there all night.**

**"Hey," he said, bleary-eyed. "You going to be ready for this test?"**

**I didn't answer.**

**"You look awful." He frowned. "Is everything okay?"**

"Is that a trick question?" Hermes snorted.

"Yes," Demeter told him seriously. "Because the answer is cereal."

"Ri-ight," Hermes drawled, cocking a brow at her.

**"Just... tired."**

**I turned so he couldn't read my expression, and started getting ready for bed.**

"I doubt it worked," Annabeth sighed.

**I didn't understand what I'd heard downstairs. I wanted to believe I'd imagined the whole thing. But one thing was clear: Grover and Mr. Brunner were talking about me behind my back. They thought I was in some kind of danger.**

"You are," Ares snorted. "You'd figure he'd pick up on that."

**The next afternoon, as I was leaving the three-hour Latin exam, my eyes swimming with all the Greek and Roman names I'd misspelled,**

"He seems to believe that he truly is slow," Athena mused. "And yet."

"What do you mean?" Annabeth questioned curiously.

"Quite simple," Athena smiled at her. "He picks up concepts fast, normally all of the information he needs to know he understands on the first try. But almost immediately, he dismisses them as if he doubts himself too much to trust his own instincts."

"Oh," Annabeth looked troubled.

**Mr. Brunner called me back inside. For a moment, I was worried he'd found out about my eavesdropping the night before, but that didn't seem to be the problem.**

**"Percy," he said. "Don't be discouraged about leaving Yancy. It's ... it's for the best."**

"Ouch," Leo winced. "Low blow, Chiron, low blow."

"He didn't mean it like that," Annabeth protested.

"You think Percy's going to pick up on that?" Thalia asked her, causing her to fall silent.

**His tone was kind, but the words still embarrassed me. Even though he was speaking quietly, the other kids finishing the test could hear. Nancy Bobofit smirked at me and made sarcastic little kissing motions with her lips.**

"Bitch," Jason muttered.

**I mumbled, "Okay, sir."**

**"I mean ..." Mr. Brunner wheeled his chair back and forth, like he wasn't sure what to say. "This isn't the right place for you. It was only a matter of time."**

"No~! Chiron, man-horse-dude-thing!" Leo groaned. "Don't say that! You sound like such a jerk!"

**Here was my favourite teacher, in front of the class, telling me I couldn't handle it. After saying he believed in me all year, now he was telling me I was destined to get kicked out.**

Poseidon's expression became stormy, irritation being at the forefront of his mind.

**"Right," I said, trembling.**

**"No, no," Mr. Brunner said. "Oh, confound it all. What I'm trying to say ... you're not normal, Percy.**

Leo let out another pathetic groan and smacked his palm to his forehead.

**That's nothing to be—"**

**"Thanks," I blurted. "Thanks a lot, sir, for reminding me."**

**"Percy—"**

**But I was already gone.**

"I'd say 'gone like the wind', but I don't think that applies here," Hermes joked weakly.

"'Out with the tide'?" Apollo offered, with a halfhearted smile.

**On the last day of the term, I shoved my clothes into my suitcase.**

**The other guys were joking around, talking about their vacation plans. One of them was going on a hiking trip to Switzerland. Another was cruising the Caribbean for a month. They were juvenile delinquents, like me, but they were **_**rich **_**juvenile delinquents. Their daddies were executives, or ambassadors, or celebrities. I was a nobody, from a family of nobodies.**

As one, the entire room let out various noises of _'yeah, right'._

**They asked me what I'd be doing this summer and I told them I was going back to the city. What I didn't tell them was that I'd have to get a summer job walking dogs or selling magazine subscriptions, and spend my free time worrying about where I'd go to school in the fall.**

**"Oh," one of the guys said. "That's cool."**

**They went back to their conversation as if I'd never existed.**

Aphrodite sniffed in irritation.

**The only person I dreaded saying good-bye to was Grover, but as it turned out, I didn't have to. He'd booked a ticket to Manhattan on the same Greyhound as I had, so there we were, together again, heading into the city.**

**During the whole bus ride, Grover kept glancing nervously down the aisle, watching the other passengers. It occurred to me that he'd always acted nervous and fidgety when we left Yancy, as if he expected something bad to happen.**

"He probably did," Thalia said dryly.

**Before, I'd always assumed he was worried about getting teased. But there was nobody to tease him on the Greyhound. Finally I couldn't stand it anymore. I said, "Looking for Kindly Ones?"**

"One heart-attack coming right up!"

"Leo," Piper rolled her eyes.

**Grover nearly jumped out of his seat. "Wha—what do you mean?"**

**I confessed about eavesdropping on him and Mr. Brunner the night before the exam.**

**Grover's eye twitched. "How much **_**did **_**you hear?"**

**"Oh ... not much. What's the summer solstice deadline?"**

"'Oh, not much'," Leo said loftily. "'Just, you know, everything'."

**He winced. "Look, Percy ... I was just worried for you, see? I mean, hallucinating about demon math teachers …"**

"You know, if he wasn't such a bad liar, that would've been a really cruel hit." Hermes pointed out.

"Good thing he sucks then," Apollo scoffed.

**"Grover—"**

**"And I was telling Mr. Brunner that maybe you were overstressed or something, because there was no such person as Mrs. Dodds, and ..."**

**"Grover, you're a really, really bad liar."**

"Yes, yes he is," Dionysus rolled his eyes.

**His ears turned pink. From his shirt pocket, he fished out a grubby business card. "Just take this, okay? In case you need me this summer."**

**The card was in fancy script, which was murder on my dyslexic eyes,**

"Which our camp director does on purpose," Annabeth added loftily.

"Yes, yes, I do," Dionysus stated bluntly.

**but I finally made out something like:**

_**Grover Underwood**_

_**Keeper**_

_**Half-Blood Hill**_

_**Long Island, New York**_

_**(800)**_ _**009-0009**_

**"What's Half—"**

**"Don't say it aloud!" he yelped.**

"Yeah, that would be bad," Jason shook his head.

"Jase? He's still going to be running into the Fates."

"...Oh yeah, I forgot about that."

**"That's my, um ... summer address."**

**My heart sank. Grover had a summer home. I'd never considered that his family might be as rich as the others at Yancy.**

**"Okay," I said glumly. "So, like, if I want to come visit your mansion."**

**He nodded.**

Annabeth sighed. "Well, at least he's not as bad as Chiron."

**"Or...or if you need me."**

**"Why would I need you?" It came out harsher than I meant it to.**

"I... probably would've been rude on purpose," Piper said slowly. "I think most people would be."

"Percy isn't most people."

"By that, we mean that he's freaking crazy," Thalia snorted.

**Grover blushed right down to his Adam's apple. "Look, Percy, the truth is, I—I kind of have to protect you."**

**I stared at him.**

**All year long, I'd gotten in fights, keeping bullies away from him. I'd lost sleep worrying that he'd get beaten up next year without me. And here he was acting like he was the one who defended **_**me.**_

"Well, it worked if you wanted to defend him from the truth," Hermes muttered.

"Yeah, I doubt he had enough clues to put it together beforehand." Apollo retorted.

"Point."

**"Grover," I said, "What exactly are you protecting me from?"**

**There was a huge grinding noise under our feet.**

"Nice timing," Poseidon muttered, a touch of worry in his eyes.

**Black smoke poured from the dashboard and the whole bus filled with a smell like rotten eggs. The driver cursed and steered the Greyhound over to the side of the highway. After a few minutes clanking around in the engine compartment, the driver announced that we'd all have to get off. Grover and I filed outside with everybody else.**

"Perfect place for an ambush," Jason shook his head.

**We were on a stretch of country road—no place you'd notice if you didn't break down there. On our side of the highway was nothing but maple trees and litter from passing cars. On the other side, across four lanes of asphalt shimmering with afternoon heat, was an old-fashioned fruit stand.**

Apollo sat up straight as he read this part.

**The stuff on sale looked really good: heaping boxes of blood red cherries and apples, walnuts and apricots, jugs of cider in a claw-foot tub full of ice**_**. **_**There were no customers, just three old ladies sitting in rocking chairs in the shade of a maple tree, knitting the biggest pair of socks I'd ever seen.**

"Socks, of all things," Leo rolled his eyes heavenward.

**I mean these socks were the size of sweaters, but they were clearly socks. The lady on the right knitted one of them. The lady on the left knitted the other. The lady in the middle held an enormous basket of electric-blue yarn. All three women looked ancient,**

The gods snorted.

**with pale faces wrinkled like fruit leather, silver hair tied back in white bandannas, bony arms sticking out of bleached cotton dresses.**

**The weirdest thing was, they seemed to be looking right at me. I looked over at Grover to say something about this and saw that the blood had drained from his face. His nose was twitching.**

**"Grover?" I said. "Hey, man—"**

**"Tell me they're not looking at you. They are, aren't they?"**

Poseidon's body was deceptively relaxed; but the grip on his trident gave him away, as his knuckles were white.

**"Yeah. Weird, huh? You think those socks would fit me?"**

Leo's mouth twitched, but the tension in the room was so thick that he couldn't bring himself to smile.

**"Not funny, Percy. Not funny at all."**

**The old lady in the middle took out a huge pair of scissors—gold and silver, long-bladed, like shears. I heard Grover catch his breath.**

**"We're getting on the bus," he told me. "Come on."**

"Point of reference," Apollo's voice was like gravel. "Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it won't happen."

**"What?" I said. "It's a thousand degrees in there."**

**"Come on!" He pried open the door and climbed inside, but I stayed back.**

**Across the road, the old ladies were still watching me. The middle one cut the yarn, and I swear I could hear that **_**snip **_**across four lanes of traffic.**

Poseidon's sea-green eyes slid closed, and when the opened again, they were as overcast as a stormy sea.

**Her two friends balled up the electric-blue socks, leaving me wondering who they could possibly be for—Sasquatch or Godzilla.**

Leo winced, suddenly the jokes didn't seem funny. They felt out of place.

**At the rear of the bus, the driver wrenched a big chunk of smoking metal out of the engine compartment. The bus shuddered, and the engine roared back to life.**

**The passengers cheered.**

**"Darn right!" yelled the driver. He slapped the bus with his hat.**

Ares snorted, crossing his heavily muscled arms across his chest.

**"Everybody back on board!"**

**Once we got going, I started feeling feverish, as if I'd caught the flu. Grover didn't look much better. He was shivering and his teeth were chattering.**

Apollo looked grim and Hades shook his head.

**"Grover?"**

**"Yeah?"**

**"What are you not telling me?"**

"So. Bloody. Much." Leo shook his head.

"Leo..." Piper started, but she trailed off once she caught the look on his face and found that the engineer wasn't joking.

**He dabbed his forehead with his shirt sleeve. "Percy, what did you see back at the fruit stand?"**

**"You mean the old ladies? What is it about them, man? They're not like ... Mrs. Dodds, are they?"**

**His expression was hard to read, but I got the feeling that the fruit-stand ladies were something much, much worse than Mrs. Dodds.**

"Ignorance is not bliss," Athena said. "Tis terrifying."

**He said, "Just tell me what you saw."**

**"The middle one took out her scissors, and she cut the yarn."**

**He closed his eyes and made a gesture with his fingers that might've been crossing himself, but it wasn't. It was something else, something almost—older.**

Poseidon breathed out through his mouth slowly, his grip still taut on his trident.

**He said, "You saw her snip the cord."**

**"Yeah. So?" But even as I said it, I knew it was a big deal.**

**"This is not happening," Grover mumbled. He started chewing at his thumb. "I don't want this to be like the last time."**

Thalia sighed and shook her head.

**"What last time?"**

**"Always sixth grade. They never get past sixth."**

"Hey!" Leo looked a little affronted, Piper did too.

**"Grover," I said, because he was really starting to scare me. "What are you talking about?"**

**"Let me walk you home from the bus station. Promise me."**

**This seemed like a strange request to me, but I promised he could.**

**"Is this like a superstition or something?" I asked.**

**No answer.**

**"Grover—that snipping of the yarn. Does that mean somebody is going to die?"**

**He looked at me mournfully, like he was already picking the kind of flowers I'd like best on my coffin.**

"That's just going to make Percy panic and freak out," Annabeth sighed. "It wouldn't now; but it would then."

"Chapter's done," Apollo said. "Here, catch Dionysus."

"Am I being volunteered for this?" He asked with a roll of his eyes.

"Nah, you're being voluntold."

"Lovely." He cleared his throat and flipped to the correct page. "Chapter three: Grover Unexpectedly Loses His Pants."

* * *

One more chapter down.

As it is March Break, I'll be updating fairly frequently this week; so expect another set of three chapters coming on the twelfth. Followed by another three on the fourteenth. And then another three on the sixteenth. From then on, however, I'll probably only be updating weekly.

Hope you enjoyed!

~FountainPen


	4. Chapter 4

**Grover Unexpectedly Loses his Pants**

Apollo sniggered. "It's funny 'cause he's a satyr."

"Shut up, twin," Artemis sighed in annoyance.

**Confession time: I ditched Grover as soon as we got to the bus terminal.**

"Percy!" Annabeth smacked her forehead with her palm.

"Well, in all fairness," Jason said, "if you don't know what's going on and you're being freaked out; you'd probably run for it too."

Thalia frowned. "It doesn't sound like Percy to run from a fight."

"People change," Annabeth sighed, "and Percy _was_ still a kid."

Ares snickered. "He went out with the tide."

"Punny," Leo snorted as Poseidon just cocked an unamused brow.

**I know, I know. It was rude. But Grover was freaking me out, looking at me like I was a dead man, muttering "Why does this always happen?" and "Why does it always have to be sixth grade?"**

"Okay, Grover's panicking," Thalia shook her head. "He's really not helping, is he?"

"Hmph," Aphrodite sniffed. "He's telling him that he's to protect him, then panicking over it? Not exactly qualified is he?"

"No, he's not," Zeus' voice was hard.

**Whenever he got upset, Grover's bladder acted up, so I wasn't surprised when, as soon as we got off the bus, he made me promise to wait for him, then made a beeline for the restroom. Instead of waiting, I got my suitcase, slipped outside, and caught the first taxi uptown.**

Annabeth sighed.

**"East One-hundred-and-fourth and First," I told the driver.**

**A word about my mother, before you meet her.**

"She's sweet," Thalia smiled. "She's one of those people you can't help but love."

Aphrodite smiled wide. "Oh yes, I think we all figured that out." She then gave a giggle as people glanced towards Poseidon.

The Lord of the Sea merely blinked at her. Thalia hid a grin, it was the same look Percy used whenever someone questioned him about Annabeth. It may seem that he was unaffected, but there was this tiny light in his sea green eyes that spoke volumes.

**Her name is Sally Jackson and she's the best person in the world, which just proves my theory that the**** best people have the rottenest luck.**

"No," Piper sighed, "just those connected to demigods."

"I hid my identity from your father for a reason, little dove," Aphrodite told her daughter with a touch of sadness to her voice.

"I know," Piper said, fiddling with one of her braids, "but... being a demigod isn't... easy."

"It's not that it's really horrible," Annabeth added quickly. "It's just complicated; especially when we're just starting to realize who we actually are..."

**Her own parents died in a plane crash when she was five, and she was raised by an uncle who didn't care much about her. She wanted to be a novelist, so she spent high school working to save enough money for a college with a good creative-writing program. Then her uncle got cancer, and she had to quit school her senior year to take care of him. After he died, she was left with no money, no family, and no diploma.**

Poseidon's frown deepened.

**The only good break she ever got was meeting my dad.**

Aphrodite sighed happily. "If only all god-mortal relations were so wondrous," she said with a dreamy look on her face. Hera looked vaguely annoyed.

**I don't have any memories of him, just this sort of warm glow, maybe the barest trace of his smile.**

Poseidon's frown cleared somewhat.

"When was the last time you saw the boy?" Zeus demanded of his brother.

"He was four," Poseidon responded. "Sally had taken him to the beach."

"He looks just like you," Annabeth told him softly. "He's your spitting image."

The god looked at her for a moment, appraising, before he turned to Dionysus. A hint of a smile dancing in his eyes.

**My mom doesn't like to talk about him because ****it ****makes her sad. She has no pictures. See, they weren't married. She told me he was rich and important, and their relationship was a secret. Then one day, he set sail across the Atlantic on some important journey, and he never came back.**

**Lost at sea, my mom told me. Not dead. Lost at sea.**

"Smart woman," Athena praised. "The boy picked up on the phrase too."

**She worked odd jobs, took night classes to get her high school diploma, and raised me on her own. She never complained or got mad. Not even once. But I knew I wasn't an easy kid.**

"Demigods never are," Dionysus scoffed.

"Hey!" Leo protested. "Neither are our godly parents!"

Hephaestus chuckled. "Leo is right, Dionysus. Read the book."

**Finally, she married Gabe Ugliano, who was nice the first thirty seconds we knew him, then showed his true colours as a world-class jerk. When I was young, I nick named him Smelly Gabe. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. The guy reeked like mouldy garlic pizza wrapped in gym shorts.**

Aphrodite wrinkled her nose, fanning her face.

**Between the two of us, we made my mom's life pretty hard. The way Smelly Gabe treated her, the way he and I got along ... well, when I came home is a good example.**

Annabeth sighed sadly and Poseidon scowled.

**I walked into our little apartment, hoping my mom would be home from work. Instead, Smelly Gabe was in the living room, playing poker with his buddies. The television blared ESPN. Chips and beer cans were strewn all over the carpet.**

"That is gross," Aphrodite stated.

"Can't be worse than Hephaestus' face," Ares sniggered.

"Shut up!" Leo snapped at him. "That's my dad!"

"Yeah? And?" Ares laughed.

"And shut your mouth!" Leo spat, his hands beginning to smoke.

"Like you could take me down, punk," Ares snorted.

"Aye then," Hephaestus grunted, his arms flexing as they crossed, "come and pick on someone your own size, Ares."

Ares scowled darkly, but he fell silent.

**Hardly looking up, he said around his cigar, "So, you're home."**

**"Where's my mom?"**

**"Working," he said. "You got any cash?"**

**That was it. No **_**Welcome back. Good to see you. How has your life been the last six months?**_

Jason glared at the book. "I cannot stand men like that," he said grimly. "They're despicable."

"And horrible for a family," Hera shook her head, looking as graceful as always. "I must agree with you, my dear Jason."

**Gabe had put on weight. He looked like a tuskless walrus in thrift-store clothes. He had about three hairs on his head, all combed over his bald scalp, as if that made him handsome or something. He managed the Electronics Mega-Mart in Queens, but he stayed home most of the time.**

"I don't like him," Apollo muttered.

"Join the club," Hermes snorted, jerking his chin at Poseidon. The Sea King looked highly irritated.

**I don't know why he hadn't been fired long before. He just kept on collecting paychecks, spending the money on cigars that made me nauseous, and on beer, of course. Always beer. Whenever I was home, he expected me to provide his gambling funds. He called that our "guy secret." Meaning, if I told my mom, he would punch my lights out.**

SWOOSH!

They looked over to see that Poseidon had created a small hurricane within the palm of his hand. He seemed to be calm; but with the way the tiny hurricane whipped about, Annabeth had the feeling that he was just suppressing his true emotions.

**"I don't have any cash," I told him.**

**He raised a greasy eyebrow. Gabe could sniff out money like a bloodhound, which was surprising, since his own smell should've covered up everything else.**

Aphrodite made a 'tuh' noise, sounding highly irritated. Athena, on the other hand, looked thoughtful.

"Mom?" Annabeth said slowly, looking curious. "You look... intrigued."

Athena smiled at her. "I am, Annabeth. I have a theory... and if I am right, then Sally Jackson is an incredibly intelligent woman."

"She is," Poseidon said simply, not looking up from his tiny hurricane. "But I hope you're not surprised by this."

"I never said I was," Athena replied neutrally.

**"You took a taxi from the bus station," he said. "Probably paid with a twenty. Got six, seven bucks in change. Somebody expects to live under this roof, he ought to carry his own weight. Am I right, Eddie?"**

Poseidon's hurricane wobbled and grew about an inch all the way around.

**Eddie, the super of the apartment building, looked at me with a twinge of sympathy. "Come on, Gabe," he said. "The kid just got here."**

"Second that," Hermes shook his head. "What a jerk."

**"Am I **_**right**_**?**_**" **_**Gabe repeated.**

**Eddie scowled into his bowl of pretzels. The other two guys passed gas in harmony.**

Aphrodite looked disgusted and summoned an old-school lacy fan to waft at her face.

**"Fine," I said. I dug a wad of dollars out of my pocket and threw the money on the table. "I hope you lose."**

**"Your report card came, brain boy!" he shouted after me. "I wouldn't act so snooty!"**

The hurricane wobbled again and grew another inch, Poseidon scowled and closed his fist, destroying the small hurricane.

**I slammed the door to my room, which really wasn't my room. During school months, it was Gabe's "study." He didn't study anything in there except old car magazines, but he loved shoving my stuff in the closet, leaving his muddy boots on my windowsill, and doing his best to make the place smell like his nasty cologne and cigars and stale beer.**

"None of those are good for him either," Demeter sniffed haughtily. "Ought to go and have some cereal, he ought."

**I dropped my suitcase on the bed. Home sweet home.**

**Gabe's smell was almost worse than the nightmares about Mrs. Dodds, or the sound of that old fruit lady's shears snipping the yarn.**

"Almost," Annabeth looked amused as she shook her head.

"That's Percy for you," Thalia remarked dryly. "Always putting it into perspective."

**But as soon as I thought that, my legs felt weak. I remembered Grover's look of panic—how he'd made me promise I wouldn't go home without him. A sudden chill rolled through me. I felt like someone—something—was looking for me right now, maybe pounding its way up the stairs, growing long, horrible talons.**

"Creepy," Leo muttered.

**Then I heard my mom's voice. "Percy?"**

**She opened the bedroom door, and my fears melted. My mother can make me feel good just by walking into the room.**

Hera smiled beatifically, even as Ares mimed retching.

**Her eyes sparkle and change colour in the light. Her smile is as warm as a quilt. She's got a few grey streaks mixed in with her long brown hair, but I never think of her as old. When she looks at me, it's like she's seeing all the good things about me, none of the bad. I've never heard her raise her voice or say an unkind word to anyone, not even me or Gabe.**

Poseidon leaned back in his chair, looking out the window to the courtyard below. He remembered Sally Jackson; she had been -and still was- a beautiful woman. Not just physically, but truly. She had understood that he was not one to be tamed or settled, and through her own acceptance, he had felt the waves calm. There was no denial, Sally Jackson would always be a very... important mortal to him.

**"Oh, Percy." She hugged me tight. "I can't believe it. You've grown since Christmas!"**

"That does happen with teen guys," Jason snorted, shaking his head with a grin.

"Says the dude built like a tank," Leo snickered, punching his arm.

**Her red-white-and-blue Sweet on America uniform smelled like the best things in the world: chocolate, licorice, and all the other stuff she sold at the candy shop in Grand Central. She'd brought me a huge bag of "free samples," the way she always did when I came home.**

"Ah! Now I'm jealous," Apollo laughed. "I could so go for some serious candy right now!"

"Yes, that's exactly what we need," Hermes sniggered, "this idiot high on sugar."

"Oi!"

**We sat together on the edge of the bed. While I attacked the blueberry sour strings, she ran her hand through my hair**

Annabeth's hands twitched.

**and demanded to know everything I hadn't put in my letters. She didn't mention anything about my getting expelled. She didn't seem to care about that. But was I okay? Was her little boy doing all right?**

Ares mimed throwing-up once again, but this time his mother caught him.

"Ares," Hera snapped. "Do grow up."

Ares flushed and scowled like a petulant child as the others sniggered at him.

**I told her she was smothering me, and to lay off and all that, but secretly, I was really, really glad to see her.**

Piper's smile was like a mirror reflection of her mother's.

**From the other room, Gabe yelled, "Hey, Sally—how about some bean dip, huh?"**

**I gritted my teeth. My mom is the nicest lady in the world. She should've been married to a millionaire, not to some jerk like Gabe.**

"Totally agree with him," Aphrodite scoffed.

"Seconded," Piper nodded.

**For her sake, I tried to sound upbeat about my last days at Yancy Academy. I told her I wasn't too down about the expulsion. I'd lasted almost the whole year this time. I'd made some new friends. I'd done pretty well in Latin. And honestly, the fights hadn't been as bad as the headmaster said. I liked Yancy Academy. I really did. I put such a good spin on the year, I almost convinced myself.**

Annabeth and Thalia exchanged sad smiles.

**I started choking up, thinking about Grover and Mr. Brunner. Even Nancy Bobofit suddenly didn't seem so bad. Until that trip to the museum ...**

**"What?" my mom asked. Her eyes tugged at my conscience, trying to pull out the secrets. "Did something scare you?"**

"She already knows," Jason said suddenly. "She already knows that something's going to come after him sooner or later."

"She's a smart woman," Athena told him seriously. "Poseidon, Hades, and Zeus are the three most powerful gods; their demigod children are incredibly powerful as well."

"Which was why the pact was created in the first place," Hades pointed out with a faint sneer. "And oddly enough, I am the only one to have not broken it."

"Irony, thy name ist Hades," Apollo snickered.

"As I was saying," Athena gave them a severe look, "as these children are incredibly powerful, they will also attract powerful enemies."

"Isn't that the truth?" Thalia snorted, shaking her head.

"Agreed," Jason ran a hand through his hair.

**"No, Mom."**

**I felt bad lying. I wanted to tell her about Mrs. Dodds and the three old ladies with the yarn, but I thought it would sound stupid.**

Athena looked like she wished to say something about ignorance not being the answer, but she held back.

**She pursed her lips. She knew I was holding back, but she didn't push me.**

**"I have a surprise for you," she said. "We're going to the beach."**

"That's where you last saw him, I suppose?" Zeus asked.

"Yes," Poseidon cocked a brow at him. "You're so curious, brother, I hope you're not planning anything."

"Hardly," he scoffed.

**My eyes widened. "Montauk?"**

**"Three nights—same cabin."**

Poseidon looked back out at Olympus.

**"When?"**

**She smiled. "As soon as I get changed."**

**I couldn't believe it. My mom and I hadn't been to Montauk the last two summers, because Gabe said there wasn't enough money.**

Scowls and irritated looks covered most of the faces in the room.

**Gabe appeared in the doorway and growled, "Bean dip, Sally? Didn't you hear me?"**

**I wanted to punch him, but I met my mom's eyes and I understood she was offering me a deal: be nice to Gabe for a little while. Just until she was ready to leave for Montauk. Then we would get out of here.**

**"I was on my way, honey," she told Gabe. "We were just talking about the trip."**

**Gabe's eyes got small. "The trip? You mean you were serious about that?"**

"No, it was an elaborate lie," Aphrodite scowled. "Such a simple human..."

"Insult to humans, right there," Leo pointed out cheerily.

**"I knew it," I muttered. "He won't let us go."**

**"Of course he will," my mom said evenly. "Your step father**

Annabeth's looked turned sad; her father had always insisted upon referring to her step-mother as her mother.

**is just worried about money. That's all. Besides," she added, "Gabriel won't have to settle for bean dip. I'll make him enough seven-layer dip for the whole weekend. Guacamole. Sour cream. The works."**

**Gabe softened a bit. "So this money for your trip ... it comes out of your clothes budget, right?"**

Aphrodite stood and swept her way out of the room; a loud crash sounded outside of the room before she walked back in, all smiles and good cheer. Piper was grinning broadly as if to say, _'yeah, that's my mom'_.

**"Yes, honey," my mother said.**

**"And you won't take my car anywhere but there and back."**

**"We'll be very careful."**

**Gabe scratched his double chin. "Maybe if you hurry with that seven-layer dip... And maybe if the kid apologizes for interrupting my poker game."**

Poseidon tensed, a dark look overcoming his face.

**Maybe if I kick you in your soft spot, I thought. And make you sing soprano for a week.**

"Do it!" Ares crowed, and judging on Poseidon's expression, he agreed.

**But my mom's eyes warned me not to make him mad. Why did she put up with this guy? I wanted to scream. Why did she care what he thought?**

**"I'm sorry," I muttered. "I'm really sorry I interrupted your incredibly important poker game. Please go back to it right now."**

"Another aspect of the sea," Hades hummed, ignoring his brother's prior warning, "there is always a comeback."

"Careful, Uncle," Ares told him. "Poseidon might drop something on your head."

"I wouldn't do that," Poseidon said carelessly. "He'd just go hide in his shadows."

Hades sneered.

**Gabe's eyes narrowed. His tiny brain was probably trying to detect sarcasm in my statement. "Yeah, whatever," he decided. He went back to his game.**

"Of course he did," Artemis muttered.

**"Thank you, Percy," my mom said. " Once we get to Montauk, we'll talk more about... whatever you've forgotten to tell me, okay?"**

Annabeth smiled faintly.

**For a moment, I thought I saw anxiety in her eyes—the same fear I'd seen in Grover during the bus ride—as if my mom too felt an odd chill in the air. But then her smile returned, and I figured I must have been mistaken.**

Athena shook her head. "He's suppressing his instincts."

**She ruffled my hair and went to make Gabe his seven-layer dip.**

**An hour later we were ready to leave.**

**Gabe took a break from his poker game long enough to watch me lug my mom's bags to the car. He kept griping and groaning about losing her cooking—and more important, his '78 Camaro—for the whole weekend.**

Jason rolled his eyes.

**"Not a scratch on this car, brain boy," he warned me as I loaded the last bag. "Not one little scratch."**

Leo cocked a brow. "He won't even be driving!"

"I don't think he cares," Piper told him.

**Like I'd be the one driving.**

"My point in the flesh!" Leo declared emphatically.

**I was twelve. But that didn't matter to Gabe. If a seagull so much as pooped on his paint job, he'd find a way to blame me.**

**Watching him lumber back toward the apartment building, I got so mad I did something I can't explain. As Gabe reached the doorway, I made the hand gesture I'd seen Grover make on the bus, a sort of warding-off-evil gesture,**

"Well, maybe he's not suppressing his instincts so much," Annabeth grinned.

**a clawed hand over my heart, then a shoving movement toward Gabe. The screen door slammed shut so hard it whacked him in the butt and sent him flying up the staircase as if he'd been shot from a cannon.**

Leo whooped loudly, as Hermes and Apollo cheered. The others chuckled with amusement.

**Maybe it was just the wind, or some freak accident with the hinges, but I didn't stay long enough to find out.**

**I got in the Camaro and told my mom to step on it.**

"Tactical retreat," Jason chuckled.

"I thought Romans found it dishonourable to retreat?" Annabeth asked, a sly grin on her face.

"You Greeks are horrible influences," Jason retorted dryly, grinning.

**Our rental cabin was on the south shore, way out at the tip of Long Island. It was a little pastel box with faded curtains, half sunken into the dunes. There was always sand in the sheets and spiders in the cabinets, and most of the time the sea was too cold to swim in.**

"Sounds uncomfortable," Piper frowned.

"You're not the son of the Sea God," Thalia told her.

**I loved the place.**

"See?" Thalia laughed.

**We'd been going there since I was a baby. My mom had been going even longer. She never exactly said, but I knew why the beach was special to her. It was the place where she'd met my dad. As we got closer to Montauk, she seemed to grow younger, years of worry and work disappearing from her face. Her eyes turned the colour of the sea.**

Almost unconsciously, Poseidon's hand came up to brush just under his eye, a faint smile on his face.

**We got there at sunset, opened all the cabin's windows, and went through our usual cleaning routine. We walked on the beach, fed blue corn chips to the seagulls, and munched on blue jelly beans, blue saltwater taffy,**

"Blue much?" Apollo grinned.

**and all the other free samples my mom had brought from work.**

**I guess I should explain the blue food.**

"Please do," Hermes shook his head.

**See, Gabe had once told my mom there was no such thing. They had this fight, which seemed like a really small thing at the time. But ever since, my mom went out of her way to eat blue.**

Poseidon chuckled.

**She baked blue birthday cakes. She mixed blueberry smoothies. She bought blue-corn tortilla chips and brought home blue candy from the shop. This—along with keeping her maiden name, Jackson, rather than calling herself Mrs. Ugliano—was proof that she wasn't totally suckered by Gabe. She did have a rebellious streak, like me.**

"Did Poseidon once tell Percy that he got that streak from him?" Thalia chuckled.

Annabeth smiled. "Guess he was double cursed."

Poseidon grinned broadly.

**When it got dark, we made a fire. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Mom told me stories about when she was a kid, back before her parents died in the plane crash. She told me about the books she wanted to write someday, when she had enough money to quit the candy shop.**

**Eventually, I got up the nerve to ask about what was always on my mind whenever we came to Montauk—my father.**

Poseidon's grin faded, his eyes drifting back to the window; Zeus saw this and frowned.

**Mom's eyes went all misty. I figured she would tell me the same things she always did, but I never got tired of hearing them.**

All the demigods had wistful looks on their faces; their respective parents exchanged looks.

**"He was kind, Percy," she said. "Tall, handsome, and powerful. But gentle, too. You have his black hair, you know, and his green eyes." Mom fished a blue jelly bean out of her candy bag. "I wish he could see you, Percy. He would be so proud."**

Aphrodite sighed, a wistful look crossing her face as well.

**I wondered how she could say that. What was so great about me? A dyslexic, hyperactive boy with a D+ report card, kicked out of school for the sixth time in six years.**

"You just wait, Perseus Jackson," Annabeth said fondly.

**"How old was I?" I asked. "I mean ... when he left?"**

**She watched the flames. "He was only with me for one summer, Percy. Right here at this beach. This cabin."**

**"But... he knew me as a baby."**

"The plot thickens," Apollo murmured.

**"No, honey. He knew I was expecting a baby, but he never saw you. He had to leave before you were born."**

**I tried to square that with the fact that I seemed to remember ... something about my father. A warm glow. A smile. I had always assumed he knew me as a baby. My mom had never said it outright, but still, I'd felt it must be true. Now, to be told that he'd never even seen me...**

"You went to go see him," Athena said, looking sideways at him.

"I saw him when he was born," Poseidon responded quietly.

"You gave him a blessing," Athena pushed. "When you saw him, you blessed him. It's the only way he could have remembered you."

Poseidon looked over at her. "I did," he replied evenly. "Any other questions?"

"That was a sweet thing to do," Piper said softly, shrinking slightly as his eyes pinned hers. "I mean- it's just-"

"You wish more gods would do that," Aphrodite smiled comfortingly at her daughter. "It's true, we are rather... distant."

Piper shrugged uncomfortably. "I'm not really one to judge," she replied awkwardly. "It's just... demigods don't really fit in anywhere until they find the camp; and even then, it's just one thing after another most of the time. Then, well... you guys are just... not there."

"I don't agree with it, dove," Aphrodite sighed before giving a sideways look at Zeus. "But it's not my choice."

Zeus ignored her looks. "Let's just read the text," he said.

**I felt angry at my father. Maybe it was stupid, but I resented him for going on that ocean voyage, for not having the guts to marry my mom. He'd left us, and now we were stuck with Smelly Gabe.**

Poseidon winced.

**"Are you going to send me away again?" I asked her. "To another boarding school?"**

**She pulled a marshmallow from the fire. "I don't know, honey." Her voice was heavy. "I think... I think we'll have to do something."**

**"Because you don't want me around?"**

"Percy," Thalia rolled her eyes.

**I regretted the words as soon as they were out.**

"Well, at least there's that," Thalia amended.

**My mom's eyes welled with tears. She took my hand, squeezed it tight. "Oh, Percy, no. I—I **_**have **_**to, honey. For your own good. I have to send you away."**

**Her words reminded me of what Mr. Brunner had said—that it was best for me to leave Yancy.**

Leo winced. "Wow, people, not so good with the wording."

**"Because I'm not normal," I said.**

**"You say that as if it's a bad thing, Percy. But you don't realize how important you are.**

Thalia and Annabeth exchanged a look.

**I thought Yancy Academy would be far enough away. I thought you'd finally be safe."**

**"Safe from what?"**

**She met my eyes, and a flood of memories came back to me—all the weird, scary things that had ever happened to me, some of which I'd tried to forget.**

Poseidon's grip tightened.

**During third grade, a man in a black trench coat had stalked me on the playground. When the teachers threatened to call the police, he went away growling, but no one believed me when I told them that under his broad-brimmed hat, the man only had one eye, right in the middle of his head.**

"Well don't look at me," Poseidon said innocently. "Percy's only in the second grade now."

**Before that—a really early memory. I was in preschool, and a teacher accidentally put me down for a nap in a cot that a snake had slithered into.**

"Does anyone else find it interesting that it was Herakles -a child of Zeus- was the one who did that and Percy, named after Perseus -a child of Zeus- also did that?" Annabeth asked.

"Wait- _Herakles_?" Leo frowned. "I thought it was Hercules."

"Hercules is the Roman pronunciation," Jason told him. "It's also the common form of his name."

"Oddly enough," Annabeth added, eyeing her fingernails, "Herakles means _'glorious gift from Hera'_. Weird, right?"

Hera's teeth grit as the others attempted to stifle their laughter.

**My mom screamed when she came to pick me up and found me playing with a limp, scaly rope I'd somehow managed to strangle to death with my meaty toddler hands.**

Ares smirked as Hera's scowl deepened.

"Hold on," Apollo said suddenly. "Why is he named after a child of _Zeus_?"

Leo glanced at him, a half-grin on his face. "You just caught that, did you?"

"Shut up, Blacksmith boy," Apollo laughed. "So, come on, why?"

"Percy told me that he was named after one of the only original heroes to ever have a good ending." Annabeth said with a smile.

"Which does not say much for us," Leo pointed out.

"Ah, shut it, Leo," Jason shoved him.

**In every single school, something creepy had happened, something unsafe, and I was forced to move.**

**I knew I should tell my mom about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds at the art museum, about my weird hallucination that I had sliced my math teacher into dust with a sword. But I couldn't make myself tell her. I had a strange feeling the news would end our trip to Montauk, and I didn't want that.**

Thalia and Annabeth rolled their eyes.

**"I've tried to keep you as close to me as I could," my mom said. "They told me that was a mistake. But there's only one other option, Percy—the place your father wanted to send you. And I just... I just can't stand to do it."**

Poseidon looked grim as he shook his head.

**"My father wanted me to go to a special school?"**

**"Not a school," she said softly. "A summer camp."**

**My head was spinning. Why would my dad—who hadn't even stayed around long enough to see me born—**

Poseidon winced.

**talk to my mom about a summer camp? And if it was so important, why hadn't she ever mentioned it before?**

**"I'm sorry, Percy," she said, seeing the look in my eyes. "But I can't talk about it. I—I couldn't send you to that place. It might mean saying good-bye to you for good."**

Annabeth winced; she couldn't help but draw parallels between her father and her versus Sally and Percy.

**"For good? But if it's only a summer camp ..."**

**She turned toward the fire, and I knew from her expression that if I asked her any more questions she would start to cry.**

**That night I had a vivid dream.**

"Another tick off for the 'demigods get bad deals' packet," Leo snorted. "The _dreams_."

"Percy always had horrible dreams," Thalia told him. "Well, the kids of the Big Three will always have worse dreams than normal -except for the Apollo kids- but Percy's were especially bad."

"Sucks," Jason winced sympathetically.

**It was storming on the beach, and two beautiful animals, a white horse and a golden eagle, were trying to kill each other at the edge of the surf.**

"That must be Zeus and Poseidon," Apollo murmured, his eyes far away.

"Doesn't sound very cheery," Hermes said quietly.

"Would explain the storms," Athena added, her voice just as soft.

"But why?" Artemis asked, looking troubled.

"'The Lightning Thief'?" Hades offered.

"Yes," Annabeth said simply. "It will be explained by the end of the book."

"It better be," Zeus growled. "I do not approve of _anyone_ touching my Master Bolt."

**The eagle swooped down and slashed the horse's muzzle with its huge talons. The horse reared up and kicked at the eagles wings. As they fought, the ground rumbled, and a monstrous voice chuckled somewhere beneath the earth, goading the animals to fight harder.**

**I ran toward them, knowing I had to stop them from killing each other, but I was running in ****slow motion. I knew I would be too late. I saw the eagle dive down, its beak aimed at the horse's wide eyes, and I screamed, **_**No!**_

Poseidon seemed to be a cross between touched by his son's concern and worried at the outcome of his dream.

**I woke with a start.**

**Outside, it really was storming, the kind of storm that cracks trees and blows down houses. There was no horse or eagle on the beach, just lightning making false daylight, and twenty-foot waves pounding the dunes like artillery.**

Zeus and Poseidon glanced at each other before looking back at Dionysus.

**With the next thunderclap, my mom woke. She sat up, eyes wide, and said, "Hurricane."**

**I knew that was crazy. Long Island never sees hurricanes this early in the summer. But the ocean seemed to have forgotten.**

"Well Styx, Uncle P, what did you go and do that for?" Apollo grinned.

"Shut up, twin," Artemis sighed, rubbing at her temples. "I mean, really."

**Over the roar of the wind, I heard a distant bellow, an angry, tortured sound that made my hair stand on end.**

**Then a much closer noise, like mallets in the sand. A desperate voice—someone yelling, pounding on our cabin door. My mother sprang out of bed in her nightgown and threw open the lock.**

"Doesn't exactly sound safe," Hephaestus grunted.

**Grover stood framed in the doorway against a backdrop of pouring rain. But he wasn't... he wasn't exactly Grover.**

"Not Grover as you know him," Demeter said. "He must've had something fibrous to eat."

**"Searching all night," he gasped. "What were you thinking?"**

**My mother looked at me in terror—not scared of Grover, but of why he'd come.**

**"Percy," she said, shouting to be heard over the rain. "What happened at school? What didn't you tell me?"**

"Please, the amount of things a mother doesn't know about her kid could fill an epic," Hermes sniggered.

"I beg your pardon?" Hera snapped at him.

"Wait, what does he mean; an 'epic'?" Leo whispered to Annabeth as Hermes quailed under Hera's glare.

"An epic poem," Annabeth whispered back. "Like Homer's _Odyssey_."

**I was frozen, looking at Grover. I couldn't understand what I was seeing.**

_**"O Zeu kai alloi theoi!" **_**he yelled. "It's right behind me! Didn't you **_**tell **_**her?"**

**I was too shocked to register that he'd just cursed in Ancient Greek, and I'd understood him perfectly.**

"Yeah, that could be trippy," Leo shook his head, his curls bouncing. "_Real_ trippy."

**I was too shocked to wonder how Grover had gotten here by himself in the middle of the night. Because Grover didn't have his pants on—** **and where his legs should be ... where his legs should be ...**

**My mom looked at me sternly and talked in a tone she'd never used before: **_**"Percy. **_**Tell me **_**now**_**!"**

**I stammered something about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds, and my mom stared at me, her face deathly pale in the flashes of lightning.**

Poseidon grit his teeth.

**She grabbed her purse, tossed me my rain jacket, and said, "Get to the car. Both of you. **_**Go**_**!**_**"**_

"That certainly explains why he showed up at camp in pajama pants," Annabeth snorted.

**Grover ran for the Camaro—but he wasn't running, exactly. He was trotting, shaking his shaggy hindquarters, and suddenly his story about a muscular disorder in his legs made sense to me. I understood how he could run so fast and still limp when he walked.**

**Because where his feet should be, there were no feet. There were cloven hooves.**

"Weird!" Leo half-sang.

"Shut up, Leo," Piper laughed, shoving him.

"Well, at least one more chapter is down," Dionysus scoffed. "Next?"

"Give me the book, Dionysus," Demeter ordered.

After taking the book, Demeter cracked it open and began to read. "Chapter four: My Mother Teaches me Bullfighting."

* * *

Thanks for all of the reviews that I got, you guys are awesome!

One note, however; if you're going to ask me a question in a review, please log in first. I prefer to reply to questions in a PM unless it's been asked by multiple people, in which case, I'll then post it down here. But, as no one knew that, I'm going to answer a question that I got.

In reference to why Athena says 'tis', 'twill', or 'twas' (etc), I felt as if it suited her personality. As you all know, it's just the contraction of 'it is', 'it will', or 'it was'. I got the feeling that Athena would be the type to use such an older form of language, as she is the goddess of wisdom, thus she prefers to speak properly and articulate her meaning. Of course, I'm nowhere near her intelligence level, so I'll probably mess it up somehow.

In any case, hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	5. Chapter 5

**My Mother Teaches me Bullfighting**

Poseidon tensed, his eyes darkening.

**We tore through the night along dark country roads. Wind slammed against the Camaro. Rain lashed the wind shield. I didn't know how my mom could see anything, but she kept her foot on the gas.**

**Every time there was a flash of lightning, I looked at Grover sitting next to me in the backseat and I wondered if I'd gone insane, or if he was wearing some kind of shag-carpet pants.**

"Shag-carpet pants? Not as comfortable as they sound," Apollo said carelessly.

**But, no, the smell was one I remembered from kindergarten field trips to the petting zoo— lanolin, like from wool. The smell of a wet barnyard animal.**

**All I could think to say was, "So, you and my mom... know each other?"**

"Simple is best," Leo said, twisting something onto the latest contraption to fall into his hands.

**Grover's eyes flitted to the rear ****view**** mirror, though there were no cars behind us.**

"Not cars he's looking for," Jason muttered.

**"Not exactly," he said. "I mean, we've never met in person. But she knew I was watching you."**

"Because that isn't creepy," Hermes snickered.

**"Watching me?"**

**"Keeping tabs on you. Making sure you were okay. But I wasn't faking being your friend," he added hastily. "I **_**am **_**your friend."**

**"Urn ... what **_**are **_**you, exactly?"**

"He's a faun."

"Satyr, Jason."

"That too."

**"That doesn't matter right now."**

**"It doesn't matter? From the waist down, my best friend is a donkey—"**

**Grover let out a sharp, throaty **_**"Blaa-ha-ha!"**_

**I'd heard him make that sound before, but I'd always assumed it was a nervous laugh. Now I realized it was more of an irritated bleat.**

Annabeth smiled.

**"Goat!" he cried.**

**"What?"**

**"I'm a **_**goat **_**from the waist down."**

**"You just said it didn't matter."**

"He has a point," Leo said before yelping as the thing in his hands caught fire. "Ah crap!"

"Anybody got a fire extinguisher?" Jason asked dryly.

"Don't go looking at me," Poseidon warned, sounding more amused than anything.

"It's good; I've got it!" Leo said quickly, not looking up. "Just a bit... finicky."

"Loosen your grip, lad," Hephaestus advised. "The fire will come faster with a nervous grip."

"I ain't nervous!" Leo protested, tugging his eyes away to glance at his father. "I'm just a little... frustrated with the delicate stuff."

"Point still stands," his father grunted.

_**"Blaa-ha-ha!**_ **There are satyrs who would trample you underhoof for such an insult!"**

**"Whoa. Wait. Satyrs. You mean like ... Mr. Brunner's myths?"**

**"Were those old ladies at the fruit stand a **_**myth, **_**Percy? Was Mrs. Dodds a myth?"**

"Says the one trying to convince him it was his imagination not two days ago," Piper huffed.

**"So you **_**admit **_**there was a Mrs. Dodds!"**

**"Of course."**

**"Then why—"**

**"The less you knew, the fewer monsters you'd attract," Grover said, like that should be perfectly obvious. "We put Mist over the humans' eyes. We hoped you'd think the Kindly One was a hallucination. But it was no good. You started to realize who you are."**

"Percy's not stupid," Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Satyrs really need to remember that what is obvious to _them_ is new to us."

**"Who I—wait a minute, what do you mean?"**

**The weird bellowing noise rose up again somewhere behind us, closer than before. Whatever was chasing us was still on our trail.**

**"Percy," my mom said, "there's too much to explain and not enough time. We have to get you to safety."**

"Would be a good idea," Poseidon muttered.

**"Safety from what? Who's after me?"**

**"Oh, nobody much," Grover said, obviously still miffed about the donkey comment. "Just the Lord of the Dead and a few of his blood-thirstiest minions."**

Poseidon tensed at the reminder; looking at Hades with dark eyes. Hades inched away slightly, he was nowhere near as powerful as Poseidon and Zeus.

**"Grover!"**

**"Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. Could you drive faster, please?"**

**I tried to wrap my mind around what was happening, but I couldn't do it. I knew this wasn't a dream. I had no imagination.**

"Dude!" Leo protested in disbelief. "_Everyone_ has an imagination! Frackin' blasphemy, that is!"

**I could never dream up something this weird. My mom made a hard left. We swerved onto a narrower road, racing past darkened farmhouses and wooded hills and PICK YOUR OWN STRAWBERRIES signs on white picket fences.**

"Close, then," Dionysus sighed. "Shame."

Poseidon's eyes flashed and Dionysus fell quiet.

**"Where are we going?" I asked.**

**"The summer camp I told you about." My mother's voice was tight; she was trying for my sake not to be scared. "The place your father wanted to send you."**

Poseidon's grip tightened on his trident; it seemed that with every passing word, his tension grew.

**"The place you didn't want me to go."**

**"Please, dear," my mother begged. "This is hard enough. Try to understand. You're in danger."**

**"Because some old ladies cut yarn."**

"Hey!" Apollo protested, sounding miffed.

"Well... it's true," Hermes pointed out with a snort.

**"Those weren't old ladies," Grover said. "Those were the Fates. Do you know what it means—the fact they appeared in front of you? They only do that when you're about to... when someone's about to die."**

Annabeth smacked her forehead. "Oh, nice save, Grover," she rolled her eyes.

"I thought we already agreed that this dude is hardly the epitome of suave," Leo snorted, a small screwdriver now in his hands.

**"Whoa. You said 'you.'"**

**"No I didn't. I said 'someone.'"**

**"You meant 'you.' As in **_**me.**_**"**

**"I meant **_**you, **_**like 'someone.' Not you, **_**you.**_**"**

**"Boys!" my mom said.**

"Someone with sense," Artemis said, shaking her head.

**She pulled the wheel hard to the right, and I got a glimpse of a figure she'd swerved to avoid—a dark fluttering shape now lost behind us in the storm.**

**"What was that?" I asked.**

"Good question," Jason muttered. "Probably a Kindly One."

**"We're almost there," my mother said, ignoring my question.**

**"Another mile. Please. Please. Please."**

"Wish you answered that prayer, Hermes," Piper sighed.

"In all fairness, kid," Hermes cocked a brow, "it sounds like Zeus is pissed at this kid and got Hades to send furies after him; if I _had_ answered the call, I'd have two very pissed off gods on me."

"But if you didn't, you'd have a very pissed off Sea God after you," Poseidon replied darkly, glaring harshly.

"Ah- heh," Hermes laughed nervously. "Hey, chill out, Poseidon; hasn't happened yet, remember?"

**I didn't know where **_**there **_**was, but I found myself leaning forward in the car, anticipating, wanting us to arrive.**

**Outside, nothing but rain and darkness—the kind of empty countryside you get way out on the tip of Long Island. I thought about Mrs. Dodds and the moment when she'd changed into the thing with pointed teeth and leathery wings. My limbs went numb from delayed shock. She really **_**hadn't **_**been human. She'd meant to kill me.**

"Delayed shock is a stupid thing," Ares said. "You have to deal with every battle as it happens; not this bullshit let's-put-it-off crap."

**Then I thought about Mr. Brunner ... and the sword he had thrown me. Before I could ask Grover about that, the hair rose on the back of my neck. There was a blinding flash, a jaw-rattling **_**boom!, **_**and our car exploded. I remember feeling weightless, like I was being crushed, fried, and hosed down all at the same time.**

Poseidon growled and the room shook as though a tiny earthquake had rippled underfoot. "I would hope, dear brother," he rumbled, "that you had not just thrown a bolt _at my son_."

"I would never throw a bolt at an innocent, _dear brother_," Zeus replied just as darkly. "Your son must have done something."

"Even though it is obvious that he is _ignorant_ of our world?" Poseidon retorted, his voice cold. "Do not presume."

"Then do not challenge me," Zeus snapped back.

"Gentlemen!" Athena called as Poseidon made a move to rise. "Please, we have been given these books to learn; not to accuse. Sit, please."

For a moment there was nothing, electricity crackled in the air and the smell of the sea was a prominent fixture. But then, both abided as Poseidon relaxed back in his seat. Still, there was a wariness in the air and, for lack of anything better, Demeter continued reading.

**I peeled my forehead off the back of the driver's seat and said, "Ow."**

**"Percy!" my mom shouted.**

**"I'm okay..."**

Poseidon nodded slowly, his fingers twitching as if he itched to check himself.

**I tried to shake off the daze. I wasn't dead. The car hadn't really exploded. We'd swerved into a ditch. Our driver's-side doors were wedged in the mud. The roof had cracked open like an eggshell and rain was pouring in.**

**Lightning. That was the only explanation.**

The Sea God's head jerked ever so slightly at this and Zeus held himself incredibly still, watching his brother closely.

**We'd been blasted right off the road. Next to me in the backseat was a big motionless lump. "Grover!"**

**He was slumped over, blood trickling from the side of his mouth. I shook his furry hip, thinking, No! Even if you are half barnyard animal, you're my best friend and I don't want you to die!**

Annabeth's smile was faint and Thalia's mouth quirked.

**Then he groaned "Food," and I knew there was hope.**

"Heh," Jason shook his head, looking vaguely amused.

**"Percy," my mother said, "we have to ..." Her voice faltered.**

**I looked back. In a flash of lightning, through the mud-spattered rear windshield, I saw a figure lumbering toward us on the shoulder of the road.**

Poseidon's teeth grit.

**The sight of it made my skin crawl. It was a dark silhouette of a huge guy, like a football player. He seemed to be holding a blanket over his head. His top half was bulky and fuzzy. His upraised hands made it look like he had horns.**

"Unless he does have horns," Leo muttered, his face close to his trinket.

"What was the title again?" Piper asked faintly; no one answered her.

**"Percy," my mother said, deadly serious. "Get out of the car."**

**My mother threw herself against the driver's-side door. It was jammed shut in the mud. I tried mine. Stuck too. I looked up desperately at the hole in the roof. It might've been an exit, but the edges were sizzling and smoking.**

**"Climb out the passenger's side!" my mother told me. "Percy—you have to run. Do you see that big tree?"**

"Hold your applause," Thalia snorted sarcastically; her hair falling into her eyes just so, giving her a rebellious look.

_**"What?"**_

**Another flash of lightning, and through the smoking hole in the roof I saw the tree she meant: a huge, White House Christmas tree-sized pine at the crest of the nearest hill.**

"Anh, at least you're a pretty tree," Leo sniggered, Thalia shot him a filthy look.

**"That's the property line," my mom said. "Get over that hill and you'll see a big farmhouse down in the valley. Run and don't look back. Yell for help. Don't stop until you reach the door."**

**"Mom, you're coming too."**

**Her face was pale, her eyes as sad as when she looked at the ocean.**

Poseidon's grip tightened on his trident.

**"No!" I shouted. "You **_**are **_**coming with me. Help me carry Grover."**

**"Food!" Grover moaned, a little louder.**

"I'm not sure if that's supposed to be funny or not," Apollo grumbled.

**The man with the blanket on his head kept coming toward us, making his grunting, snorting noises. As he got closer, I realized he **_**couldn't **_**be holding a blanket over his head, because his hands—huge meaty hands—were swinging at his sides. There was no blanket. Meaning the bulky, fuzzy mass that was too big to be his head ... was his head. And the points that looked like horns …**

**"He doesn't want **_**us**_**," my mother told me. "He wants **_**you. **_**Besides, I can't cross the property line."**

"Well, not without strictly allowing her to," Annabeth grimaced.

"Dude, so not cool," Leo shook his head, "if she were killed or something, do you know how crap that would make Percy feel?"

"You've never even met him," Thalia pointed out.

A dark look crossed Leo's face, an uncharacteristic expression that bespoke of horrible things. "I can imagine," was all he said.

**"But..."**

**"We don't have time, Percy. Go. Please."**

**I got mad, then—mad at my mother, at Grover the goat,** **at the thing with horns that was lumbering toward us slowly and deliberately like, like a bull.**

"Unleash the flood," Hermes muttered, an intrigued look in his eye.

Whether the other gods admitted it or not, all were curious to see if the son of Poseidon actually managed to get away from this minotaur.

**I climbed across Grover and pushed the door open into the rain. "We're going together.**

"Stubborn," Annabeth said with a faint smile.

**Come on, Mom."**

**"I told you—"**

**"Mom! I am not leaving you. Help me with Grover."**

"He certainly doesn't take 'no' for an answer, does he?" Athena smiled vaguely. "Tis commendable in some respects."

**I didn't wait for her answer. I scrambled outside, dragging Grover from the car. He was surprisingly light, but I couldn't have carried him very far if my mom hadn't come to my aid.**

"Sounds painfully out of shape," Ares snorted.

**Together, we draped Grover's arms over our shoulders and started stumbling uphill through wet waist-high grass.**

**Glancing back, I got my first clear look at the monster. He was seven feet tall, easy, his arms and legs like something from the cover of **_**Muscle Man **_**magazine—bulging biceps and triceps and a bunch of other 'ceps,**

Athena rolled her eyes.

**all stuffed like baseballs under vein-webbed skin. He wore no clothes except under wear—I mean, bright white Fruit of the Looms**

Hermes choked on his laughter; and Apollo's face turned red as he stifled his own.

—**which would've looked funny, except that the top half of his body was so scary. Coarse brown hair started at about his belly button and got thicker as it reached his shoulders.**

**His neck was a mass of muscle and fur leading up to his enormous head, which had a snout as long as my arm, snotty nostrils with a gleaming brass ring, cruel black eyes, and horns—enormous black-and-white horns with points you just couldn't get from an electric sharpener.**

"Sounds like a real looker," Piper muttered.

"Totally," Leo snickered, his dark expression vanishing. "He's my date to the prom."

Jason broke out into a coughing fit.

**I recognized the monster, all right. He had been in one of the first stories Mr. Brunner told us. But he couldn't be real.**

**I blinked the rain out of my eyes. "That's—"**

**"Pasiphae's son," my mother said.**

Athena smiled.

**"I wish I'd known how badly they want to kill you."**

"Doesn't that sound so throw-away?" Apollo grinned. "Like, 'oh yeah, you're probably going to die; now who wants cheetos?' so off-hand."

**"But he's the Min—"**

**"Don't say his name," she warned. "Names have power."**

**The pine tree was still way too far—a hundred yards uphill at least.**

**I glanced behind me again.**

Ares snorted, obviously unimpressed.

**The bull-man hunched over our car, looking in the windows—or not looking, exactly. More like snuffling, nuzzling. I wasn't sure why he bothered, since we were only about fifty feet away.**

**"Food?" Grover moaned.**

**"Shhh," I told him. "Mom, what's he doing? Doesn't he see us?"**

**"His sight and hearing are terrible," she said. "He goes by smell. But he'll figure out where we are soon enough."**

"She sounds so resigned, doesn't she?" Annabeth murmured sadly. "Like she knew."

Poseidon, having caught this, grimaced.

**As if on cue, the bull-man bellowed in rage. He picked up Gabe's Camaro by the torn roof, the chassis creaking and groaning. He raised the car over his head and threw it down the road. It slammed into the wet asphalt and skidded in a shower of sparks for about half a mile before coming to a stop. The gas tank exploded.**

_**Not a scratch, **_**I remembered Gabe saying.**

**Oops.**

Apollo, Hermes, Leo, and Jason laughed as others chuckled.

**"Percy," my mom said. "When he sees us, he'll charge. Wait until the last second, then jump out of the way— directly sideways. He can't change directions very well once he's charging. Do you understand?"**

"And there's the chapter," Dionysus said vaguely.

**"How do you know all this?"**

**"I've been worried about an attack for a long time. I should have expected this. I was selfish, keeping you near me."**

**"Keeping me near you? But—"**

**Another bellow of rage, and the bull-man started tromping uphill.**

"Run first, talk later," Piper instructed, rolling her eyes.

"What is this 'run'?" Ares scoffed. "He ought to fight!"

"He does," Annabeth retorted primly, her eyes gleaming. "Trust me, he does."

"For some odd reason," Poseidon said, his voice carefully off-hand, "I don't like the sound of that."

**He'd smelled us.**

**The pine tree was only a few more yards, but the hill was getting steeper and slicker, and Grover wasn't getting any lighter.**

**The bull-man closed in. Another few seconds and he'd be on top of us.**

**My mother must've been exhausted, but she shouldered Grover. "Go, Percy! Separate! Remember what I said."**

Poseidon's expression darkened immediately.

**I didn't want to split up, but I had the feeling she was right—it was our only chance. I sprinted to the left, turned, and saw the creature bearing down on me. His black eyes glowed with hate. He reeked like rotten meat.**

Aphrodite wrinkled her nose.

**He lowered his head and charged, those razor-sharp horns aimed straight at my chest.**

**The fear in my stomach made me want to bolt, but that wouldn't work. I could never outrun this thing.**

**So I held my ground, and at the last moment, I jumped to the side.**

The Sea God hissed.

**The bull-man stormed past like a freight train, then bellowed with frustration and turned, but not toward me this time, toward my mother, who was setting Grover down in the grass. We'd reached the crest of the hill. Down the other side I could see a valley, just as my mother had said, and the lights of a farmhouse glowing yellow through the rain. But that was half a mile away. We'd never make it.**

**The bull-man grunted, pawing the ground. He kept eyeing my mother, who was now retreating slowly downhill, back toward the road, trying to lead the monster away from Grover.**

**"Run, Percy!" she told me. "I can't go any farther. Run!"**

**But I just stood there, frozen in fear, as the monster charged her. She tried to sidestep, as she'd told me to do, but the monster had learned his lesson. His hand shot out and grabbed her by the neck as she tried to get away . He lifted her as she struggled, kicking and pummelling the air.**

Dionysus' diet coke exploded, the liquid gushing over his hand and spraying his face. The god spluttered with irritation but Poseidon didn't notice, his gaze was dangerous and his knuckles were white.

**"Mom!"**

**She caught my eyes, managed to choke out one last word: "Go!"**

**Then, with an angry roar, the monster closed his fists around my mother's neck, and she dissolved before my eyes, melting into light, a shimmering golden form, as if she were a holographic projection. A blinding flash, and she was simply ... gone.**

The diet coke on the floor reacted, even though Poseidon did not; it sped through the room like a mini tidal wave. Aphrodite made an irritated noise as she picked up her feet. The liquid crashed against the opposite wall violently before dissipating into just a small puddle.

The gods and demigods turned to look at Poseidon. He looked totally unrepentant. "My apologies," he said, without the barest hint of remorse in his voice.

"Demeter," Hades said, "perhaps you ought to read."

**"No!"**

**Anger replaced my fear. New found strength burned in my limbs—the same rush of energy I'd gotten when Mrs. Dodds grew talons.**

Zeus eyed his brother as people began to settle, the description of Percy's anger sounded frighteningly similar to his brother's.

**The bull-man bore down on Grover, who lay helpless in the grass. The monster hunched over, snuffling my best friend, as if he were about to lift Grover up and make him dissolve too. I couldn't allow that. I stripped off my red rain jacket.**

**"Hey!" I screamed, waving the jacket, running to one side of the monster. "Hey, stupid! Ground beef!"**

Ares cocked a brow, but the memory of Poseidon's outburst was too soon for him to react.

**"Raaaarrrrr!" The monster turned toward me, shaking his meaty fists.**

**I had an idea—a stupid idea, but better than no idea at all.**

Annabeth and Athena shook their heads.

**I put my back to the big pine tree and waved my red jacket in front of the bull-man, thinking I'd jump out of the way at the last moment.**

**But it didn't happen like that.**

Jason winced, unsure of what to expect.

**The bull-man charged too fast, his arms out to grab me whichever way I tried to dodge.**

**Time slowed down.**

**My legs tensed. I couldn't jump sideways, so I leaped straight up, kicking off from the creature's head, using it as a springboard, turning in midair, and landing on his neck.**

"Woah," Leo said, looking gobsmacked. "How'd he do that?"

"The same way you can fix stuff in four seconds flat," Piper told him, "you're hard-wired to do it."

**How did I do that?**

"Dude," Leo muttered.

**I didn't have time to figure it out. A millisecond later, the monster's head slammed into the tree and the impact nearly knocked my teeth out.**

"Ah," Jason winced, "not pleasant."

"How would you-"

"Don't ask, Leo."

**The bull-man staggered around, trying to shake me. I locked my arms around his horns to keep from being thrown. Thunder and lightning were still going strong. The rain was in my eyes. The smell of rotten meat burned my nostrils.**

Aphrodite took up fanning her face again.

**The monster shook himself around and bucked like a rodeo bull. He should have just backed up into the tree and smashed me flat, but I was starting to realize that this thing had only one gear: forward.**

**Meanwhile, Grover started groaning in the grass. I wanted to yell at him to shut up, but the way I was getting tossed around, if I opened my mouth I'd bite my own tongue off.**

Poseidon's eye twitched, he was going to _murder_ that satyr.

**"Food!" Grover moaned.**

**The bull-man wheeled toward him, pawed the ground again, and got ready to charge. I thought about how he had squeezed the life out of my mother, made her disappear in a flash of light, and rage filled me like high-octane fuel. I got both hands around one horn and I pulled backward with all my might.**

Ares looked curious.

**The monster tensed, gave a surprised grunt, then—**_**snap!**_

"Ah, booyeah!" Leo fistpumped. "Take that, meathead! Perseus Jackson is a badass in disguise!"

"Not bad," Ares muttered.

**The bull-man screamed and flung me through the air.**

"I wouldn't think that the horns would have nerve-endings," Piper muttered.

"Apparently they do," Jason replied, linking his fingers with hers discretely.

**I landed flat on my back in the grass. My head smacked against a rock. When I sat up, my vision was blurry, but I had a horn in my hands, a ragged bone weapon the size of a knife.**

**The monster charged.**

**Without thinking, I rolled to one side and came up kneeling. As the monster barrelled past, I drove the broken horn straight into his side, right up under his furry rib cage.**

The demigods and half of the gods cheered for Percy's success. Apollo letting out bursts of sparks and light in celebration. Poseidon smiled and relaxed back into his chair, that was his boy.

**The bull-man roared in agony. He flailed, clawing at his chest, then began to disintegrate—not like my mother, in a flash of golden light, but like crumbling sand, blown away in chunks by the wind, the same way Mrs. Dodds had burst apart.**

**The monster was gone.**

"And good-riddance," Leo nodded firmly.

"Won't stay gone, unfortunately," Thalia shook her head. "Doesn't work like that."

"Kind of reminds you of Pacman, doesn't it?" Leo grinned. "'Oh, you died? Pop in another quarter, sucker, and let's rock this!'"

**The rain had stopped. The storm still rumbled, but only in the distance. I smelled like livestock and my knees were shaking. My head felt like it was splitting open. I was weak and scared and trembling with grief I'd just seen my mother vanish. I wanted to lie down and cry, but there was Grover, needing my help, so I managed to haul him up and stagger down into the valley, toward the lights of the farm house. I was crying, calling for my mother, but I held on to Grover—I wasn't going to let him go.**

Hera looked sympathetic. "Poor boy," she cooed.

**The last thing I remember is collapsing on a wooden porch, looking up at a ceiling fan circling above me, moths flying around a yellow light, and the stern faces of a familiar-looking bearded man and a pretty girl, her blond hair curled like a princess's.**

Annabeth looked surprised before she quickly hid her face.

"An Aphrodite girl?" Hermes offered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Piper asked indignantly.

"Settle, dove, it was a compliment," Aphrodite said, looking amused.

"No, it was a stereotype," Piper grumbled, hitting Jason's shoulder to stop his silent laughter.

**They both looked down at me, and the girl said, "He's the one. He must be."**

**"Silence, Annabeth,"**

Annabeth blushed hotly as the gods turned, as one, to stare at her.

"Leave her be," Athena ordered after a moment. "Don't bother my daughter."

**the man said. "He's still conscious. Bring him inside."**

"Chapter's over," Demeter said carelessly.

"Let's read one more chapter before we take a break, yes?" Hera suggested. "I shall read, Demeter."

The book floated over to Hera, where she took it and opened it gently. "Chapter five," she said, "I Play Pinochle with a Horse."

* * *

So, the suggested form of spelling Pacman is Pac-Man, but I prefer to spell it Pacman. Deal with it. ;)

This chapter was actually a bit difficult as I'm trying to figure out the proper way to characterize Poseidon. I mean, from reading the books, I've inferred that he was incredibly smitten with Sally and we all know that he says that Percy is his favourite son. Yet, he's also a god; a benevolent one, maybe, but still a god. Therefore he has to be stand-offish. I feel like I'm playing him a bit overprotective, but I don't know...

What do you guys think?

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	6. Chapter 6

**I ****Play**** Pinochle With a Horse**

"I think he means centaur," Leo grinned. "You know, thumbs and all."

**I had weird dreams full of barnyard animals. Most of them wanted to kill me. The rest wanted food.**

Thalia snorted and rolled her eyes.

**I must've woken up several times, but what I heard and saw made no sense, so I just passed out again. I remember lying in a soft bed, being spoon-fed something that tasted like buttered popcorn, only it was pudding.**

"Popcorn?" Annabeth rolled her eyes, a fond smile on her face.

**The girl with curly blond hair hovered over me, smirking as she scraped drips off my chin with the spoon.**

**When she saw my eyes open, she asked, "What will happen at the summer solstice?"**

"Wow, hello sensitive," Leo snorted.

"Shut up," Annabeth flushed. "I was twelve!"

"Dude, he's delusional and just lost his mom!"

"Shut up!" She repeated, her face totally red.

**I managed to croak, "What?"**

**She looked around, as if afraid someone would over hear. "What's going on? What was stolen? We've only got a few weeks!"**

Annabeth slunk into her seat at the incredulous looks she was getting.

**"I'm sorry," I mumbled, "I don't..."**

**Somebody knocked on the door, and the girl quickly filled my mouth with pudding.**

"I was curious!" Annabeth defended.

"Curious, my child, but not tactful," Annabeth replied, an amused smile on her face.

**The next time I woke up, the girl was gone. A husky blond dude, like a surfer, stood in the corner of the bedroom keeping watch over me. He had blue eyes- at least a dozen of them- on his cheeks, his forehead, the backs of his hands.**

"Argus," Leo cackled. "Dude, that guy is epic! Could you imagine all those _eyes_? Talk about peripheral vision!"

**When I finally came around for good, there was nothing weird about my surroundings, except that they were nicer than I was used to. I was sitting in a deck chair on a huge porch, gazing across a meadow at green hills in the distance. The breeze smelled like strawberries.**

Thalia and Annabeth exchanged happy smiles.

"Camp Half-Blood really is beautiful," Piper smiled.

"It's certainly is different," Jason gave a half-grin. "Less... regulated."

"I hope you don't mind, Jase," Leo shook his head, "but I think I'll stick with the Greeks."

Jason chuckled. "If everything happens the way she wishes it to; that'll be no issue."

Apollo twitched and glared at anyone who looked like they wanted to ask.

**There was a blanket over my legs, a pillow behind my neck. All that was great, but my mouth felt like a scorpion had been using it for a nest. My tongue was dry and nasty and every one of my teeth hurt.**

"Blech," Leo made a face.

**On the table next to me was a tall drink. It looked like iced apple juice, with a green straw and a paper parasol stuck through a maraschino cherry. My hand was so weak I almost dropped the glass once I got my fingers around it.**

Jason winced and flexed his arm, he knew that feeling.

**"Careful," a familiar voice said.**

**Grover was leaning against the porch railing, looking like he hadn't slept in a week.**

"More like the straight two days Percy was out," Annabeth sighed and shook her head.

"After failing to protect my son and his mother, he deserves to feel horrible for a few days," Poseidon replied simply.

"He deserves more than that, brother," Zeus rumbled. "Remember, this is the second time he's failed."

"Father-" Thalia cut herself off and sighed, shaking her head.

**Under one arm, he cradled a shoe box. He was wearing blue jeans, Converse hi-tops and a bright orange T-shirt that said CAMP HALF-BLOOD. Just plain old Grover, Not the goat boy.**

"One and the same," Dionysus scoffed, sipping a new diet coke.

**So maybe I'd had a nightmare. Maybe my mom was okay. We were still on vacation, and we'd stopped here at this big house for some reason. And...**

**"You saved my life," Grover said.**

Leo made an explosion noise.

"Leo," Jason gave him a weird look.

"Just adding the sounds to his beliefs going boom."

**"I... well, the least I could do ... I went back to the hill. I thought you might want this."**

**Reverently, he placed the shoe box in my lap.**

**Inside was a black-and-white bull's horn, the base jagged from being broken off, the tip splattered with dried blood. It hadn't been a nightmare.**

"Well, not a nightmare in the typical sense," Hermes rolled his eyes.

**"The Minotaur," I said.**

"Probably best not to say that name aloud," Demeter said wryly.

**"Urn, Percy, it isn't a good idea-"**

**"That's what they call him in the Greek myths, isn't it?" I demanded. "The Minotaur. Half man, half bull."**

"He sounds irritated," Dionysus commented idly.

**Grover shifted uncomfortably. "You've been out for two days. How much do you remember?"**

Jason scoffed, folding his arms. "I'd be pissed too if everyone kept trying to dodge my questions."

**"My mom. Is she really ..."**

**He looked down.**

**I stared across the meadow. There were groves of trees, a winding stream, acres of strawberries spread out under the blue sky. The valley was surrounded by rolling hills, and the tallest one, directly in front of us, was the one with the huge pine tree on top. Even that looked beautiful in the sunlight.**

**My mother was gone. The whole world should be black and cold. Nothing should look beautiful.**

Aphrodite cooed. "I think I like this boy," she said.

Annabeth grimaced and looked away.

**"I'm sorry," Grover sniffled. "I'm a failure. I'm- I'm the worst satyr in the world."**

Zeus and Poseidon both looked like they agreed with that assessment.

**He moaned, stomping his foot so hard it came off. I mean, the Converse hi-top came off. The inside was filled with Styrofoam, except for a hoof-shaped hole.**

**"Oh, Styx!" he mumbled.**

**Thunder rolled across the clear sky.**

Jason gave his father a surreptitious sideways glance.

**As he struggled to get his hoof back in the fake foot, I thought, Well, that settles it.**

**Grover was a satyr. I was ready to bet that if I shaved his curly brown hair, I'd find tiny horns on his head.**

Leo sniggered.

**But I was too miserable to care that satyrs existed, or even minotaurs. All that meant was my ****mom really had been squeezed into nothingness, dissolved into yellow light. I was alone. An orphan. I would have to live with ... Smelly Gabe?**

Poseidon scowled darkly.

**No. That would never happen. I would live on the streets first. I would pretend I was seventeen and join the army. I'd do something.**

"I think they'd see through the act," Hermes sniggered. "Twelve going on seventeen? Hardly."

**Grover was still sniffling. The poor kid- poor goat, satyr, whatever- looked as if he expected to be hit. I said, "It wasn't your fault."**

Poseidon looked unimpressed. "I'm afraid I don't see how it isn't."

"Percy probably believes that it was his fault as he was the one who ran, and he didn't inform his mother of what had happened," Athena pointed out.

"Yet Percy wouldn't have run if Grover hadn't scared him," Poseidon countered. "It's a little difficult to believe that the person who is panicking is the one who is supposed to help you."

**"Yes, it was. I was supposed to **_**protect **_**you."**

**"Did my mother ask you to protect me?"**

**"No. But that's my job. I'm a keeper. At least... I was."**

**"But why ..." I suddenly felt dizzy, my vision swimming.**

"He always overdoes it," Annabeth said, shaking her head.

**"Don't strain yourself," Grover said. "Here." He helped me hold my glass and put the straw to my lips.**

**I recoiled at the taste, because I was expecting apple juice. It wasn't that at all. It was chocolate-chip cookies. Liquid cookies.**

"Chocolate chip cookies?" Hermes grinned. "I _so_ approve."

**And not just any cookies- my mom's homemade blue chocolate-chip cookies, buttery and hot, with the chips still melting.**

Hera eyed the people in the room before smiling and snapping her fingers; chocolate chip cookies and sodas appeared on the table. The cookies weren't blue, but most still fell onto them.

"Thank you, ma'am," Jason nodded to her quietly.

"You are quite welcome, Jason," Hera told him warmly, obviously pleased.

**Drinking it, my whole body felt warm and good, full of energy. My grief didn't go away, but I felt as if my mom had just brushed her hand against my cheek, given me a cookie the way she used to when I was small, and told me everything was going to be okay.**

Aphrodite squealed. "Oh yes, I really do like this boy! He's so sweet, isn't he?"

"Sweet as sugar," Ares drawled, obviously irritated. Hephaestus just chuckled.

**Before I knew it, I'd drained the glass. I stared into it, sure I'd just had a warm drink, but the ice cubes hadn't even melted.**

**"Was it good?" Grover asked.**

**I nodded.**

**"What did it taste like?" He sounded so wistful, I felt guilty.**

**"Sorry," I said. "I should've let you taste."**

Aphrodite's smile only grew.

**His eyes got wide. "No! That's not what I meant. I just... wondered."**

**"Chocolate-chip cookies," I said. "My mom's. Home made."**

**He sighed. "And how do you feel?"**

**"Like I could throw Nancy Bobofit a hundred yards."**

A bit of laughter covered the room.

**"That's good," he said. "That's good. I don't think you could risk drinking any more of that stuff."**

**"What do you mean?"**

**He took the empty glass from me gingerly, as if it were dynamite, and set it back on the table. "Come on. Chiron and Mr. D are waiting."**

"Wow, no one wants to answer his questions, do they?" Apollo snickered.

**The porch wrapped all the way around the farmhouse. My legs felt wobbly, trying to walk that far. Grover offered to carry the Minotaur horn, but I held on to it. I'd paid for that souvenir the hard way. I wasn't going to let it go.**

"Stubborn," Hera looked amused, "certainly a trait of this family."

Poseidon merely looked amused.

**As we came around the opposite end of the house, I caught my breath.**

**We must've been on the north shore of Long Island, because on this side of the house, the valley marched all the way up to the water, which glittered about a mile in the distance.**

"He would focus on that," Thalia grinned.

**Between here and there, I simply couldn't process everything I was seeing. The landscape was dotted with buildings that looked like ancient Greek architecture an open-air pavilion, an amphitheatre, a circular arena except that they all looked brand new, their white marble columns sparkling in the sun. In a nearby sandpit, a dozen high school-age kids and satyrs played volleyball. Canoes glided across a small lake. Kids in bright orange T-shirts**

Piper and Leo high-fived, grinning at one another broadly; Thalia laughed and shoved at Jason teasingly. The Roman just shook his head with a half-grin.

**like Grover's were chasing each other around a cluster of cabins nestled in the woods. Some shot targets at an archery range. Others rode horses down a wooded trail, and, unless I was hallucinating, some of their horses had wings.**

Annabeth smiled. "I wonder how Blackjack is doing..." she murmured.

"He still out searching?" Thalia asked and Annabeth nodded.

**Down at the end of the porch, two men sat across from each other at a card table. The blond-haired girl who'd spoon-fed me popcorn-flavoured pudding was leaning on the porch rail next to them.**

**The man facing me was small, but porky. He had a red nose, big watery eyes, and curly hair so black it was almost purple. He looked like those paintings of baby angels- what do you call them, hubbubs?**

Apollo and Hermes sniggered.

**No, cherubs. That's it. He looked like a cherub who'd turned middle-aged in a trailer park. He wore a tiger-pattern Hawaiian shirt, and he would've fit right in at one of Gabe's poker parties, except I got the feeling this guy could've out-gambled even my step father.**

Dionysus was inspecting his nails distractedly, but everyone could see the amused look on his face.

**"That's Mr. D," Grover murmured to me. "He's the camp director. Be polite. The girl, that's Annabeth Chase. She's just a camper, but she's been here longer than just about anybody.**

"That's right," Athena murmured. "You arrived at Camp Half-Blood this past year."

Annabeth nodded gingerly.

**And you already know Chiron..."**

**He pointed at the guy whose back was to me.**

**First, I realized he was sitting in the wheelchair. Then I recognized the tweed jacket, the thinning brown hair, the scraggly beard.**

"Oh, Mr. Brunner," Leo grinned and nodded. "Makes sense."

**"Mr. Brunner!" I cried.**

**The Latin teacher turned and smiled at me. His eyes had that mischievous glint they sometimes got in class when he pulled a pop quiz and made all the multiple choice answers **_**B**_**.**

Hermes cackled. "My type of guy," he said.

**"Ah, good, Percy," he said. "Now we have four for pinochle."**

**He offered me a chair to the right of Mr. D, who looked at me with bloodshot eyes and heaved a great sigh. "Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now, don't expect me to be glad to see you."**

Poseidon shot Dionysus an irritated look.

**"Uh, thanks." I scooted a little farther away from him because, **_**if **_**there was one thing I had learned from living with Gabe, it was how to tell when an adult has been hitting the happy juice. If Mr. D was a stranger to alcohol, I was a satyr.**

Dionysus scoffed. "Do not compare me to such imbeciles."

"Dude, book."

"Shut up, Apollo."

**"Annabeth?" Mr. Brunner called to the blond girl.**

**She came forward and Mr. Brunner introduced us. "This young lady nursed you back to health, Percy. Annabeth, my dear, why don't you go check on Percy's bunk? We'll be putting him in cabin eleven for now."**

"My cabin, then?" Hermes snorted.

**Annabeth said, "Sure, Chiron."**

**She was probably my age, maybe a couple of inches taller,**

"That changed quickly," Annabeth shook her head.

"Someone sounds bitter," Leo teased, Annabeth just rolled her eyes.

**and a whole lot more athletic looking. With her deep tan and her curly blond hair, she was almost exactly what I thought a stereotypical California girl would look like, except her eyes ruined the image.**

Annabeth frowned, her hand coming up to touch her cheek unconsciously.

**They were startling grey, like storm clouds; pretty,**

Aphrodite had a large grin on her face as Annabeth blushed.

**but intimidating, too, as if she were analyzing the best way to take me down in a fight.**

"Sounds like Athena," Ares muttered.

"Have we not already established thus?" Athena demanded, glaring at him.

Ares rolled his eyes (though they couldn't really tell, given his sunglasses).

**She glanced at the minotaur horn in my hands, then back at me. I imagined she was going to say, **_**You killed a minotaur! **_**or **_**Wow, you're so awesome! **_**or something like that. Instead she said, "You drool when you sleep."**

The room chuckled.

**Then she sprinted off down the lawn, her blond hair flying behind her.**

**"So," I said, anxious to change the subject. "You, uh, work here, Mr. Brunner?"**

**"Not Mr. Brunner," the ex-Mr. Brunner said. "I'm afraid that was a pseudonym. You may call me Chiron."**

**"Okay." Totally confused, I looked at the director. "And Mr. D ... does that stand for something?"**

**Mr. D stopped shuffling the cards. He looked at me like I'd just belched loudly. "Young man, names are powerful things. You don't just go around using them for no reason."**

"Except, you know, names." Leo snorted. "Kinda weird."

"Ignore him," Annabeth shook her head, "Leo's never met Dionysus."

"And why not?" Zeus frowned darkly at his son.

"Well..." Annabeth winced. "I... don't think we can tell you."

Zeus' frown just deepened.

**"Oh. Right. Sorry."**

**"I must say, Percy," Chiron-Brunner broke in, "I'm glad to see you alive. It's been a long time since I've made a house call to a potential camper. I'd hate to think I've wasted my time."**

"Dude, not cool!" Leo protested. "He just put that into future tense or whatever!"

"'I would hate to think I have wasted my time...'" Piper shook her head. "Good catch."

"Doesn't matter," Annabeth said. "We already know that Percy is the son of Poseidon."

"Yeah, not the point."

**"House call?"**

**"My year at Yancy Academy, to instruct you. We have satyrs at most schools, of course, keeping a lookout. But Grover alerted me as soon as he met you. He sensed you were something special, so I decided to come upstate. I convinced the other Latin teacher to ... ah, take a leave of absence."**

"Suuuure, Chiron," Apollo sniggered, "_'convinced'_!"

**I tried to remember the beginning of the school year. It seemed like so long ago, but I did have a fuzzy memory of there being another Latin teacher my first week at Yancy. Then, without explanation, he had disappeared and Mr. Brunner had taken the class.**

**"You came to Yancy just to teach me?" I asked.**

**Chiron nodded. "Honestly, I wasn't sure about you at first.**

"Percy is a great guy," Annabeth said, "but he really doesn't seem like much when you first meet him. Ah... no offence, Lord Poseidon."

Poseidon cocked an eyebrow but didn't respond.

**We contacted your mother, let her know we were keeping an eye on you in case you were ready for Camp Half-Blood. But you still had so much to learn. Nevertheless, you made it here alive, and that's always the first test."**

Thalia hissed out a breath and shook her head.

**"Grover," Mr. D said impatiently, "are you playing or not?"**

**"Yes, sir!" Grover trembled as he took the fourth chair, though I didn't know why he should be so afraid of a pudgy little man in a tiger-print Hawaiian shirt.**

Dionysus scoffed loudly.

**"You **_**do **_**know how to play pinochle?" Mr. D eyed me suspiciously.**

**"I'm afraid not," I said.**

**"I'm afraid not, **_**sir**_**," he said.**

**"Sir," I repeated. I was liking the camp director less and less.**

Poseidon just chuckled as Dionysus made an irritated face.

**"Well," he told me, "it is, along with gladiator fighting and Pacman, one of the greatest games ever invented by humans. I would expect all **_**civilized **_**young men to know the rules."**

"Note: Pacman is awesome!" Leo grinned.

"We can agree on that much, boy," Dionysus muttered.

**"I'm sure the boy can learn," Chiron said.**

**"Please," I said, "what is this place? What am I doing here? Chiron why would you go to Yancy Academy just to teach me?"**

**Mr. D snorted. "I asked the same question."**

The liquid in Dionysus' pop shook and the god hastily put it down.

**The camp director dealt the cards. Grover flinched every time one landed in his pile. Chiron smiled at me sympathetically, the way he used to in Latin class, as if to let me know that no matter what my average was, **_**I **_**was his star student. He expected **_**me **_**to have the right answer.**

The diet coke stopped shivering but Dionysus didn't dare pick it up.

**"Percy," he said. "Did your mother tell you nothing?'**

**"She said ..." I remembered her sad eyes, looking out over the sea.**

Poseidon smiled and relaxed.

**"She told me she was afraid to send me here, even though my father had wanted her to. She said that once I was here, I probably couldn't leave. She wanted to keep me close to her."**

**"Typical," Mr. D said. "That's how they usually get killed.**

"Please," Thalia scoffed, crossing her arms, "it's rare for a demigod's mortal parent to accept them enough to _want_ to keep them."

The gods exchanged looks, looking troubled by this.

**Young man, are you bidding or not?"**

**"What?" I asked.**

**He explained, impatiently, how you bid in pinochle, and so I did.**

**"I'm afraid there's too much to tell," Chiron said. "I'm afraid our usual orientation film won't be sufficient."**

"He's seen too much to explain it through the film," Annabeth sighed.

**"Orientation film?" I asked.**

**"No," Chiron decided. "Well, Percy. You know your friend Grover is a satyr. You know-" he pointed to the horn in the shoe box- "that you have killed the Minotaur. No small feat, either, lad.**

"No, it wasn't," Poseidon remarked, looking proud.

**What you may not know is that great powers are at work in your life. Gods- the forces you call the Greek gods- are very much alive."**

**I stared at the others around the table.**** I waited for somebody to yell, **_**Not! **_**But all I got was Mr. D yelling, "Oh, a royal marriage. Trick! Trick!"**

Hermes and Apollo sniggered.

**He cackled as he tallied up his points.**

**"Mr. D," Grover asked timidly, "if you're not going to eat it, could I have your Diet Coke can?"**

**"Eh? Oh, all right."**

**Grover bit a huge shard out of the empty aluminium can and chewed it mournfully.**

"Poor Grover," Thalia shook her head.

**"Wait," I told Chiron. "You're telling me there's such a thing as god."**

**"Well, now," Chiron said. "God- capital **_**G**_**, God. That's a different matter altogether. We shan't deal with the metaphysical."**

**"Metaphysical? But you were just talking about-"**

**"Ah, gods, plural, as in, great beings that control the forces of nature and human endeavours: the immortal gods of Olympus. That's a smaller matter."**

"Smaller," Zeus scoffed. "Gods have gone mad for less."

"Aeolus," Leo snorted, "that guy was nucking futs."

"Hephaestus, you sure this is your kid?" Apollo sniggered. "He sounds more like one of Hermes'-"

A small explosion issued in front of Leo, causing the kid to laugh. Apparently, his trinket had been rigged with dynamite.

"You were saying?" Hephaestus asked, a smirk on his mouth.

"Nothing, never mind."

**"Smaller?"**

**"Yes, quite. The gods we discussed in Latin class."**

**"Zeus," I said. "Hera. Apollo. You mean them."**

"Note: I was mentioned, you were not," Apollo cackled, only to get a caduceus to the face.

_We are not a toy!, _Martha protested.

"Don't care," Hermes half-sang.

**And there it was again, distant thunder on a cloudless day.**

Zeus frowned in confusion.

**"Young man," said Mr. D, "I would really be less casual about throwing those names around, if I were you."**

**"But they're stories," I said. "They're- myths, to explain lightning and the seasons and stuff. They're what people believed before there was science."**

**"Science!" Mr. D scoffed. "And tell me, Perseus Jackson"-I flinched when he said my real name, which I never told anybody-**

Poseidon chuckled.

**"what will people think of your 'science' two thousand years from now?" Mr. D continued. "Hmm? They will call it primitive mumbo jumbo. That's what. Oh, I love mortals- they have absolutely no sense of perspective. They think they've come **_**so-o-o **_**far. And have they, ****Chiron? Look at this boy and tell me."**

Immediately, the amusement drained from Poseidon's face. "You have a point, Dionysus," he said darkly, "but do not use my son to make it."

**I wasn't liking Mr. D much, but there was something about the way he called me mortal, as if... he wasn't. It was enough to put a lump in my throat, to suggest why Grover was dutifully minding his cards, chewing his soda can, and keeping his mouth shut.**

"No, that's just typical Grover," Thalia snorted, eyeing Poseidon carefully.

**"Percy," Chiron said, "you may choose to believe or not, but the fact is that **_**immortal **_**means immortal. Can you imagine that for a moment, never dying? Never fading? Existing, just as you are, for all time?"**

**I was about to answer, off the top of my head, that it sounded like a pretty good deal, but the tone of Chiron's voice made me hesitate.**

"Blessing and a curse," Jason murmured.

**"You mean, whether people believed in you or not," I said.**

**"Exactly," Chiron agreed. "If you were a god, how would you like being called a myth, an old story to explain lightning? What if I told you, Perseus Jackson, that some day people would call **_**you **_**a myth, just created to explain how little boys can get over losing their mothers?"**

"Harsh," Leo muttered, looking back down at his half-exploded trinket, his mind on his own mother.

**My heart pounded. He was trying to make me angry for some reason, but I wasn't going to let him. I said, "I wouldn't like it. But I don't believe in gods."**

**"Oh, you'd better," Mr. D murmured. "Before one of them incinerates you."**

Poseidon glared darkly at the wine god.

**Grover said, "P-please, sir. He's just lost his mother. He's in shock."**

**"A lucky thing, too," Mr. D grumbled, playing a card. "Bad enough I'm confined to this miserable job, working with boys who don't even believe.'"**

**He waved his hand and a goblet appeared on the table, as if the sunlight had bent, momentarily, and woven the air into glass. The goblet filled itself with red wine.**

Zeus growled in irritation. "Dionysus."

"My apologies," Dionysus murmured.

**My jaw dropped, but Chiron hardly looked up.**

**"Mr. D," he warned, "your restrictions."**

**Mr. D looked at the wine and feigned surprise.**

**"Dear me." He looked at the sky and yelled, "Old habits! Sorry!"**

**More thunder.**

The gods snorted.

**Mr. D waved his hand again, and the wineglass changed into a fresh can of Diet Coke. He sighed unhappily, popped the top of the soda, and went back to his card game.**

**Chiron winked at me. "Mr. D offended his father a while back, took a fancy to a wood nymph who had been declared off-limits."**

**"A wood nymph," I repeated, still staring at the Diet Coke can like it was from outer space.**

"Oh, Percy," Annabeth rolled her eyes, "get with the program."

**"Yes," Mr. D confessed. "Father loves to punish me. The first time, Prohibition. Ghastly! Absolutely horrid ten years! The second time- well, she really was pretty, and I couldn't stay away- the second time, he sent me here. Half-Blood Hill. Summer camp for brats like you. 'Be a better influence,' he told me. 'Work with youths rather than tearing them down.' Ha.' Absolutely unfair."**

"No, you're just being a brat," Artemis scoffed.

Dionysus gave her a sour look.

**Mr. D sounded about six years old, like a pouting little kid.**

"Quite right," Artemis nodded firmly.

**"And ..." I stammered, "your father is ..."**

_**"Di immortales, **_**Chiron," Mr. D said. "I thought you taught this boy the basics. My father is Zeus, of course."**

**I ran through D names from Greek mythology. Wine. The skin of a tiger. The satyrs that all seemed to work here. The way Grover cringed, as if Mr. D were his master.**

**"You're Dionysus," I said. "The god of wine."**

"Well, he got there eventually," Athena muttered.

**Mr. D rolled his eyes. "What do they say, these days, Grover? Do the children say, 'Well, duh!'?"**

**"Y-yes, Mr. D."**

**"Then, well, duh! Percy Jackson. Did you think I was Aphrodite, perhaps?"**

Aphrodite scoffed and flipped her hair.

**"You're a god."**

**"Yes, child."**

**"A god. You."**

"That's going to set him off," Thalia muttered.

**He turned to look at me straight on, and I saw a kind of purplish fire in his eyes, a hint that this whiny, plump little man was only showing me the tiniest bit of his true nature. I saw visions of grape vines choking unbelievers to death, drunken warriors insane with battle lust, sailors screaming as their hands turned to flippers, their faces elongating into dolphin snouts. I knew that if I pushed him, Mr. D would show me worse things. He would plant a disease in my brain that would leave me wearing a strait-jacket in a rubber room for the rest of my life.**

Poseidon turned to his nephew slowly. "I would hope, Dionysus, that you will treat my son with a sense of care in the future."

"He's being impertinent," Dionysus muttered petulantly.

"And you are being aggravating. He is ignorant and not intentionally attempting to offend."

"Yes, uncle," Dionysus replied, his voice quiet with a hint of a sulk.

**"Would you like to test me, child?" he said quietly.**

**"No. No, sir."**

**The fire died a little. He turned back to his card game. "I believe I win."**

**"Not quite, Mr. D," Chiron said. He set down a straight, tallied the points, and said, "The game goes to me."**

Apollo snorted. "Quick reaction."

**I thought Mr. D was going to vaporize Chiron right out of his wheelchair, but he just sighed through his nose, as if he were used to being beaten by the Latin teacher. He got up, and Grover rose, too.**

**"I'm tired," Mr. D said. "I believe I'll take a nap before the sing-along tonight. But first, Grover, we need to talk, **_**again, **_**about your less-than-perfect performance on this assignment."**

**Grover's face beaded with sweat. "Y-yes, sir."**

Thalia shook her head, looking sad for her friend.

**Mr. D turned to me. "Cabin eleven, Percy Jackson. And mind your manners."**

**He swept into the farmhouse, Grover following miserably.**

**"Will Grover be okay?" I asked Chiron.**

**Chiron nodded, though he looked a bit troubled. "Old Dionysus isn't really mad. He just hates his job. He's been ... ah, grounded, I guess you would say, and he can't stand waiting another century before he's allowed to go back to Olympus."**

As one, the demigods faces darkened; as though no, Dionysus would not have to wait so long after all. It troubled the gods, though they would not say it.

**"Mount Olympus," I said. "You're telling me there really is a palace there?"**

**"Well now, there's Mount Olympus in Greece. And then there's the home of the gods, the convergence point of their powers, which did indeed used to be on Mount Olympus. It's still called Mount Olympus, out of respect to the old ways, but the palace moves, Percy, just as the gods do."**

**"You mean the Greek gods are here? Like ... in **_**America**_**?"**

**"Well, certainly. The gods move with the heart of the West."**

**"The what?"**

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

**"Come now, Percy. What you call 'Western civilization.' Do you think it's just an abstract concept? No, it's a living force. A collective consciousness that has burned bright for thousands of years. The gods are part of it. You might even say they are the source of it, or at least, they are tied so tightly to it that they couldn't possibly fade, not unless all of Western civilization were obliterated. The fire started in Greece. Then, as you well know- or as I hope you know, since you passed my course- the heart of the fire moved to Rome, and so did the gods. Oh, different names, perhaps- Jupiter for Zeus, Venus for Aphrodite, and so on- but the same forces, the same gods."**

"By the gods," Annabeth whispered, her eyes widening, "why did I not see it then?"

"You're referring to the Roman-Greek thing," Leo said dubiously. "I thought you did know?"

"I- I only suspected... but, it was only a hunch. Nothing concrete. Yet Percy- If I had stayed-"

"It's the past, now," Piper reminded gently. "Let it go."

Annabeth looked at her for a moment before sighing and nodding.

**"And then they died."**

**"Died? No. Did the West die? The gods simply moved, to Germany, to France, to Spain, for a while. Wherever the flame was brightest, the gods were there. They spent several centuries in England. All you need to do is look at the architecture. People do not forget the gods.**

"Kinda hard to," Thalia commented.

**Every place they've ruled, for the last three thousand years, you can see them in paintings, in statues, on the most important buildings. And yes, Percy, of course they are now in your United States. Look at your symbol, the eagle of Zeus. Look at the statue of Prometheus in Rockefeller Centre, the Greek facades of your government buildings in Washington. I defy you to find any American city where the Olympians are not prominently displayed in multiple places. Like it or not- and believe me, plenty of people weren't very fond of Rome, either-**

Jason shook his head. "Hence why we knew nothing of each other," he said, gesturing between himself and the other demigods.

"I'm your sister, stupid," Thalia pointed out. "Trust me, I knew something of you."

Jason smiled at her.

**America is now the heart of the flame. It is the great power of the West. And so Olympus is here. And we are here."**

**It was all too much, especially the fact that **_**I **_**seemed to be included in Chiron's **_**we, **_**as if I were part of some club.**

**"Who are you, Chiron? Who ... who am I?"**

"A great question," Athena smiled quietly. "One of the most intriguing questions that exist."

**Chiron smiled. He shifted his weight as if he was going to get up out of his wheelchair, but I knew that was impossible. He was paralysed from the waist down.**

**"Who are you?" he mused. "Well, that's the question we all want answered, isn't it? But for now, we should get you a bunk**

"Please," Thalia scoffed, crossing her arms in irritation, "like there's enough room for all the kids in that cabin."

"Hey, at least it's changed now," Annabeth pointed out.

"Yes, Percy swung that much; and look how the gods retaliated!"

"Thalia," Jason said suddenly, stretching over the others to grip his sister's shoulder. "Simmer down."

Thalia grit her teeth and tossed her head, ignoring the irritated and confused looks the gods now had.

**in cabin eleven. There will be new friends to meet. And plenty of time for lessons tomorrow. Besides, there will be s'mores at the campfire tonight, and I simply adore chocolate."**

"Understatement," Dionysus muttered, ignoring the awkward silence.

**And then he did rise from his wheelchair. But there was something odd about the way he did it. His blanket fell away from his legs, but the legs didn't move. His waist kept getting longer, rising above his belt. At first, I thought he was wearing very long, white velvet underwear, but as he kept rising out of the chair, taller than any man, I realized that the velvet underwear wasn't underwear; it was the front of an animal, muscle and sinew under coarse white fur. **

**And the wheelchair wasn't a chair. It was some kind of container, an enormous box on wheels,**

"Must not be very comfortable," Leo snorted.

**and it must've been magic, because there's no way it could've held all of him. A leg came out, long and knobby-kneed, with a huge polished hoof. Then another front leg, then hindquarters, and then the box was empty, nothing but a metal shell with a couple of fake human legs attached.**

**I stared at the horse who had just sprung from the wheelchair: a huge white stallion. But where its neck should be was the upper body of my Latin teacher, smoothly grafted to the horse's trunk.**

**"What a relief," the centaur said. "I'd been cooped up in there so long, my fetlocks had fallen asleep. Now, come, Percy Jackson. Let's meet the other campers."**

"And there we are," Hera said, closing the book. "I believe I said something of a break?"

"Hell yeah!" Leo sprang to his feet. "Demigods with ADHD shouldn't be stuck for so long!"

"He's going to go blow something up, isn't he?" Jason sighed before climbing to his feet. "I've got it."

"Dude, I've wanted to see this place forever!" Leo called as he strode out the side door, the other demigods on his heels.

* * *

Fact: I refer to Dionysus as Mr. D in my head because I don't think I'm pronouncing Dionysus right.

Dee-on-i-sus? Die-on-ee-sus? I don't know.

Another fact: I suffer from RPD, Reader's Pronunciation Disease. I've seen all of these words before, but only in books, so I've no clue how to say them aloud without sounding like a moron. :)

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	7. Chapter 7

The gods were quiet once the door closed behind the demigods. It was stifling, almost, with how silent the room had fallen.

"Will they be displaced when they go back to their own time?" Artemis asked her twin after a moment. "Will time move on even when they're here?"

"I doubt it," her brother replied dubiously. "From what I can tell, they're a part of something... big. Don't ask me what; I don't know. But they are. A prophecy cannot move forward without their subjects -much like playing monopoly without any pieces."

"So their time period is suspended as long as they exist here," Hermes frowned.

"But they already exist here," Athena pointed out. "Annabeth, Perseus, Jason – the three of them are about seven now; Leo and Piper must be around five or six."

"Not the point," the messenger muttered.

"How many books are there?" Dionysus asked, looking bored.

"Five."

"Hmph, this will take forever. Can't we just skip to the end?"

Apollo flipped through the first book curiously before shaking his head. "No good," he said, "all the pages are blank; we're going to have to do this the long way."

"Great," Dionysus scoffed.

"We'll just have to deal with it," Hera replied primly. "The Fates have decreed it."

"I don't like this," Zeus scowled.

"Big surprise," Hades muttered.

Zeus shot him a filthy look. "But, we don't seem to have a choice."

"This is what I just said, husband," Hera rolled her eyes.

"Moving on," Poseidon pushed before it turned into a fight. "Will we be keeping the demigods here?"

"We'll have to," Artemis replied. "We can hardly send them back."

"I'll see to it," Hera sighed, sweeping off without another word.

"Now, where'd those kids go?" Hephaestus grunted.

Surprisingly, the demigods hadn't gotten all that far. All five of them were sitting just outside on a grassy hill, looking down on the market place and the clouds. Jason had Piper sitting between his knees, her back to his chest; Leo was on his back, staring up at the sky; Thalia was eyeing her arrows carefully; and Annabeth was simply staring out at the clouds, hugging her knees to her chest and practically swallowed by Percy's old sweater.

"We could be working on the _Argo II_ right now," Annabeth muttered.

"Seriously, I miss Festus," Leo groaned. "Going from something like that to tinker toys, ain't that awesome."

"Tinker toys that explode," Jason snorted.

"It's not that bad," Piper said, "it's just- I feel bad having to go through Percy's memories. I mean, we've never even met him..."

"You mean you haven't," Annabeth said flatly.

"Annabeth," Thalia rebuked quietly.

"Sorry," the blonde muttered, looking away.

"It's fine," Piper replied softly.

"Demigods," Hera called firmly. "It is time to return to the room."

"What? Dude, that was fast," Leo said, shaking his head as they stood.

"It has been an hour."

Leo shrugged, it obviously didn't matter to him. Nevertheless, the five followed Hera back to the dome-room and took their spots. Apollo twirled the book between his fingers as he waited for them to file in.

"So," he said at last, "who wants to read?"

"I'll do it," Piper offered hesitantly, taking the book from him. "Okay," she murmured, "Chapter six: **I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom."**

"Sounds fun," Hermes snorted.

**Once I got over the fact that my Latin teacher was a horse, we had a nice tour, though I was careful not to walk behind him. I'd done pooper-scooper patrol in the Macy's Thanksgiving** **Day Parade a few times, and, I'm sorry, I did not trust Chiron's back end the way I trusted his front.**

Some of the guys sniggered as most of the girls rolled their eyes.

**We passed the volleyball pit. Several of the campers nudged each other. One pointed to the Minotaur horn I was carrying. Another said, "That's **_**him**_**."**

"Awkward," Leo snorted.

**Most of the campers were older than me. Their satyr friends were bigger than Grover, all of them trotting around in orange CAMP HALF-BLOOD T-shirts, with nothing else to cover their bare shaggy hindquarters. I wasn't normally shy, but the way they stared at me made me uncomfortable. I felt like they were expecting me to do a flip or something.**

Annabeth chuckled. "I doubt Percy could do a flip now, never mind then."

"Well-"

"Water doesn't count, Leo."

**I looked back at the farmhouse. It was a lot bigger than I'd realized—four stories tall, sky blue with white trim, like an upscale seaside ****resort.**

"Water analogies!" Apollo suddenly shouted. "Water analogies everywhere- Ow! Sis, not cool!"

"Don't care," Artemis scoffed, rolling her eyes at him.

**I was checking out the brass eagle weather vane** **on top when something caught my eye, a shadow in the uppermost window of the attic gable.**

Hermes tensed, his snakes hissing as the grip on his phone/caduceus tightened.

**Something had moved the curtain, just for a second, and I got the distinct impression I was being watched.**

**"What's up there?" I asked Chiron.**

**He looked where I was pointing, and his smile faded. "Just the attic."**

**"Somebody lives there?"**

**"No," he said with finality. "Not a single living thing."**

Apollo looked grim and Hermes looked angry.

**I got the feeling he was being truthful. But I was also sure something had moved that curtain.**

**"Come along, Percy," Chiron said, his lighthearted tone now a little forced. "Lots to see."**

**We walked through the strawberry fields, where campers were picking bushels of berries while a satyr played a tune on a reed pipe.**

**Chiron told me the camp grew a nice crop for export to New York restaurants and Mount Olympus. "It pays our expenses," he explained. "And the strawberries take almost no effort."**

**He said Mr. D had this effect on fruit-bearing plants: they just went crazy when he was around. It worked best with wine grapes, but Mr. D was restricted from growing those,**

"Hmph," Dionysus huffed.

**so they grew strawberries instead.**

**I watched the satyr playing his pipe. His music was causing lines of bugs to leave the strawberry patch in every direction, like refugees fleeing a fire. I wondered if Grover could work that kind of magic with music.**

Annabeth and Thalia choked, their faces going red with suppressed laughter.

**I wondered if he was still inside the farmhouse, getting chewed out by Mr. D.**

**"Grover won't get in too much trouble, will he?" I asked Chiron. "I mean ... he was a good protector. Really."**

Poseidon looked irritated for a moment before he sighed and looked away.

**Chiron sighed. He shed his tweed jacket and draped it over his horses back like a saddle. "Grover has big dreams, Percy. Perhaps bigger than are reasonable.** **To reach his goal, he must first demonstrate great courage by succeeding as a keeper, finding a new camper and bringing him safely to Half-Blood Hill."**

**"But he did that!"**

"That is debatable," Zeus muttered darkly.

"Father, stop it!" Thalia protested, frowning at him. "It wasn't Grover's fault that I refused to listen."

"A protector must _protect_, Thalia," Zeus told her firmly. "They must be willing to risk their lives and die for their charges. He failed because he did not step forward."

"But he-"

"He failed. Discussion closed."

Thalia scowled darkly.

**"I might agree with you," Chiron said. "But it is not my place to judge. Dionysus and the Council of Cloven Elders must decide. I'm afraid they might not see this assignment as a success. After all, Grover lost you in New York. Then there's the unfortunate ... ah ... fate of your mother.**

Poseidon winced.

**And the fact that Grover was unconscious when you dragged him over the property line. The council might question whether this shows any courage on Grover's part."**

**I wanted to protest. None of what happened was Grover's fault. I also felt really, really guilty. If I hadn't given Grover the slip at the bus station, he might not have gotten in trouble.**

"Oh, Percy..." Annabeth sighed and shook her head.

**"He'll get a second chance, won't he?"**

**Chiron winced. "I'm afraid that **_**was **_**Grover's second chance, Percy.**

"What happened?" Piper wanted to know.

Thalia grimaced. "Long story short? I became a tree."

"So, you're a Birch?" Leo asked innocently, earning himself a sharp thwack with Thalia's bow. "Ow! Okay! Got it! No more tree jokes!"

**The council was not anxious to give him another, either, after what happened the first time, five years ago. Olympus knows, I advised him to wait longer before trying again. He's still so small for his age..."**

**"How old is he?"**

**"Oh, twenty-eight."**

"Holding it together well," Jason shook his head.

**"What! And he's in sixth grade?"**

**"Satyrs mature half as fast as humans, Percy. Grover has been the equivalent of a middle school student for the past six years."**

**"That's horrible."**

"Dude, agreed," Leo muttered.

**"Quite," Chiron agreed. "At any rate, Grover is a late bloomer, even by satyr standards, and not yet very accomplished at woodland magic.**

Thalia and Annabeth avoided each other's eyes, twin grins on their faces.

**Alas, he was anxious to pursue his dream. Perhaps now he will find some other career..."**

**"That's not fair," I said. "What happened the first time? Was it really so bad?"**

Thalia winced, her smile disappearing.

**Chiron looked away quickly. "Let's move along, shall we?"**

**But I wasn't quite ready to let the subject drop. Something had occurred to me when Chiron talked about my mother's fate, as if he were intentionally avoiding the word **_**death. **_**The beginnings of an idea—a tiny, hopeful fire**

"Wrong element, man," Leo sniggered. "That's my style."

—**started forming in my mind.**

**"Chiron," I said. "If the gods and Olympus and all that are real ..."**

**"Yes, child?"**

**"Does that mean the Underworld is real, too?"**

Hades cocked a brow curiously. "It's rare to have someone ask such a question. Most don't want to know."

**Chiron's expression darkened.**

**"Yes, child." He paused, as if choosing his words carefully. "There is a place where spirits go after death. But for now ... until we know more ... I would urge you to put that out of your mind."**

"It's like he already knows what Percy's planning," Hermes chuckled. "Man, I've got to teach this kid some moves."

**"What do you mean, 'until we know more'?"**

**"Come, Percy. Let's see the woods."**

"And another question denied," Apollo snickered, lounging gracefully on his chair.

**As we got closer, I realized how huge the forest was. It took up at least a quarter of the valley, with trees so tall and thick, you could imagine nobody had been in there since the Native Americans.**

**Chiron said, "The woods are stocked, if you care to try your luck, but go armed."**

**"Stocked with what?" I asked. "Armed with what?"**

"Isn't it obvious?" Athena cocked a brow, unimpressed.

"I think it's safe to say that the kid is a little in over his head," Apollo grinned at her.

**"You'll see. Capture the flag is Friday night. Do you have your own sword and shield?"**

**"My own—?"**

**"No," Chiron said. "I don't suppose you do.**

"Do kids actually show up with their gadgets or whatever?" Leo questioned curiously. "I thought it was like- you get it once you're claimed or something."

Annabeth had a faraway look in her eyes as her fingers trailed over the hilt of her dagger. "It can be either or," she said at last. "Some demigods _do_ know who their parents are."

**I think a size five will do. I'll visit the armoury later."**

**I wanted to ask what kind of summer camp had an armoury, but there was too much else to think about, so the tour continued. We saw the archery range, the canoeing lake, the stables (which Chiron didn't seem to like very much),**

"Gee, wonder why?" Jason asked sarcastically.

"Probably because he's a centaur."

"Leo, dude, it was rhetorical."

"Oh."

**the javelin range, the sing-along amphitheatre, and the arena where Chiron said they held sword and spear fights.**

"**Oh, yes, and there's the mess hall."**

**Chiron pointed to an outdoor pavilion framed in white Grecian columns on a hill overlooking the sea. There were a dozen stone picnic tables. No roof. No walls.**

**"What do you do when it rains?" I asked.**

**Chiron looked at me as if I'd gone a little weird.**

"It's a valid question!" Piper said indignantly, frowning at the book. "I think everyone just doesn't want to answer his questions."

"Agreed to that, dovey," Apollo nodded.

"_'Dovey_'?" She repeated with a frown.

"Aphrodite calls you dove, it's stuck on you now," Apollo grinned mischievously at her.

**"We still have to eat, don't we?" I decided to drop the subject.**

**Finally, he showed me the cabins. There were twelve of them, nestled in the woods by the lake. They were arranged in a U, with two at the base and five in a row on either side. And they were without doubt the most bizarre collection of buildings I'd ever seen.**

The gods frowned.

**Except for the fact that each had a large brass number above the door (odds on the left side, evens on the right), they looked absolutely nothing alike. Number nine had smokestacks, like a tiny factory.**

"Ahhh yeah!" Leo whooped, fistpumping.

"Sit down, idiot," Jason huffed out a laugh, tugging him by the back of his shirt.

**Number four had tomato vines on the walls and a roof made out of real grass. Seven seemed to be made of solid gold, which gleamed so much in the sunlight it was almost impossible to look at.**

Apollo grinned.

**They all faced a commons area about the size of a soccer field, dotted with Greek statues, fountains, flower beds, and a couple of basketball hoops (which were more my speed).**

**In the centre of the field was a huge stone-lined firepit. Even though it was a warm afternoon, the hearth smoldered. A girl about nine years old was tending the flames, poking the coals with a stick.**

"He saw me," Hestia smiled brightly. "That's a rare occurence. It would be nice if he came to speak with me, but you know."

"You're Hestia, tender of the hearth," Thalia murmured. "I remember you from the-" she cut herself off with a shake of her head.

"Yes, that's me," the goddess overlooked the slip of Thalia's tongue easily. "I'm rarely noticed, but that's alright."

"It is?"

"Of course," Hestia smiled at Piper. "Please, read on."

**The pair of cabins at the head of the field, numbers one and two, looked like his-and-hers mausoleums, big white marble boxes with heavy columns in front.**

Poseidon's eyebrows raised as Zeus and Hera, almost imperceptibly, shifted their weight to sit up straighter.

**Cabin one was the biggest and bulkiest of the twelve. Its polished bronze doors shimmered like a hologram, so that from different angles lightning bolts seemed to streak across them. Cabin two was more graceful somehow, with slimmer columns garlanded with pomegranates and flowers. The walls were carved with images of peacocks.**

Hera nodded, as if she agreed with this description.

**"Zeus and Hera?" I guessed.**

**"Correct," Chiron said.**

**"Their cabins look empty."**

"**Several of the cabins are. That's true. No one ever stays in one or two."**

"Oi!" Jason and Thalia protested.

**Okay. So each cabin had a different god, like a mascot.**

The gods scoffed.

**Twelve cabins for the twelve Olympians. But why would some be empty?**

"Because some of us take the vows of marriage seriously," Hera said simply, her eyes dark and glaring.

"Or we don't get involved at all," Artemis snorted, crossing her arms.

**I stopped in front of the first cabin on the left, cabin three.**

"Ah, Poseidon's cabin," Annabeth smiled; Poseidon quirked a brow.

**It wasn't high and mighty like cabin one, but long and low and solid. The outer walls were of rough grey stone studded with pieces of seashell and coral, as if the slabs had been hewn straight from the bottom of the ocean floor. I peeked inside the open doorway** **and Chiron said, "Oh, I wouldn't do that!"**

**Before he could pull me back, I caught the salty scent of the interior, like the wind on the shore at Montauk. The interior walls glowed like abalone. There were six empty bunk beds with silk sheets turned down. But there was no sign anyone had ever slept there. The place felt so sad and lonely, I was glad when Chiron put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Come along, Percy."**

"It called to him," Jason said quietly.

"It's his home," Poseidon replied firmly.

**Most of the other cabins were crowded with campers.**

**Number five was bright red—a real nasty paint job, as if the colour had been splashed on with buckets and fists. The roof was lined with barbed wire. A stuffed wild boar's head hung over the doorway, and its eyes seemed to follow me. **

Ares sniggered with pride, puffing out his chest.

**Inside I could see a bunch of mean-looking kids, both girls and boys, arm wrestling and arguing with each other while rock music blared. The loudest was a girl maybe thirteen or fourteen. She wore a size XXXL CAMP HALF-BLOOD T-shirt under a camouflage jacket. She zeroed in on me and gave me an evil sneer. She reminded me of Nancy Bobofit, though the camper girl was much bigger and tougher looking, and her hair was long and stringy, and brown instead of red.**

"Ah," Annabeth said with a small, mysterious smile, "Clarisse."

**I kept walking, trying to stay clear of Chiron's hooves. "We haven't seen any other centaurs," I observed.**

**"No," said Chiron sadly. "My kinsmen are a wild and barbaric folk, I'm afraid.**

"And bloody awesome at a party!" Apollo whooped. "Dude, seriously!"

"Party Ponies, for the win," Hermes sniggered, high-fiving Apollo.

**You might encounter them in the wilderness, or at major sporting events. But you won't see any here."**

**"You said your name was Chiron. Are you really ..."**

"Yes, yes he is," Annabeth smiled.

**He smiled down at me. **_**"The **_**Chiron from the stories? Trainer of Hercules**

Artemis looked unamused at the name; Hera looked just as annoyed.

**and all that? Yes, Percy, I am."**

**"But, shouldn't you be dead?"**

**Chiron paused, as if the question intrigued him. "I honestly don't know about **_**should **_**be. The truth is, I **_**can't **_**be dead. You see, eons ago the gods granted my wish.**

"'Twas a good wish," Athena remarked. "Twas an _honest_ wish."

**I could continue the work I loved. I could be a teacher of heroes as long as humanity needed me. I gained much from that wish ... and I gave up much. But I'm still here, so I can only assume I'm still needed."**

**I thought about being a teacher for three thousand years. It wouldn't have made my Top Ten Things to Wish For list.**

A number of people chuckled at that.

**"Doesn't it ever get boring?"**

**"No, no," he said. "Horribly depressing, at times, but never boring."**

**"Why depressing?"**

"Isn't it obvious?" Ares rolled his eyes.

**Chiron seemed to turn hard of hearing again.**

**"Oh, look," he said. "Annabeth is waiting for us."**

**The blonde girl I'd met at the Big House was reading a book in front of the last cabin on the left, number eleven. When we reached her, she looked me over critically, like she was still thinking about how much I drooled.**

"Tough crowd," Hermes chuckled, before his phone went off and he grimaced. "Ah crap."

**I tried to see what she was reading, but I couldn't make out the title. I thought my dyslexia was acting up. Then I realized the title wasn't even English. The letters looked Greek to me. I mean, literally Greek.**

"Ha." Artemis deadpanned.

**There were pictures of temples and statues and different kinds of columns, like those in an architecture book.**

"Because it was, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth rolled her eyes fondly.

**"Annabeth," Chiron said, "I have masters' archery class at noon. Would you take Percy from here?"**

"**Yes, sir."**

**"Cabin eleven," Chiron told me, gesturing toward the doorway. "Make yourself at home."**

**Out of all the cabins, eleven looked the most like a regular old summer camp cabin, with the emphasis on **_**old.**_

"Hey!" Hermes said, looking up at that. "My cabin is epic!"

"And crowded- or at least, then it was." Thalia muttered.

**The threshold was worn down, the brown paint peeling. Over the doorway was one of those doctor's symbols, a winged pole with two snakes wrapped around it. What did they call it... ?**

**A caduceus.**

Hermes brushed his hand over his phone unconsciously.

**Inside, it was packed with people, both boys and girls, way more than the number of bunk beds. Sleeping bags were spread all over on the floor. It looked like a gym where the Red Cross had set up an evacuation centre.**

"Hello cramping," Leo mumbled.

**Chiron didn't go in. The door was too low for him. But when the campers saw him they all stood and bowed respectfully.**

**"Well, then," Chiron said. "Good luck, Percy. I'll see you at dinner."**

**He galloped away toward the archery range.**

**I stood in the doorway, looking at the kids. They weren't bowing anymore. They were staring at me, sizing me up. I knew this routine. I'd gone through it at enough schools.**

Poseidon frowned.

**"Well?" Annabeth prompted. "Go on."**

**So naturally I tripped coming in the door and made a total fool of myself. There were some snickers from the campers, but none of them said anything.**

"Well, one good thing about the kid is that he doesn't take himself too seriously," Apollo chuckled.

**Annabeth announced, "Percy Jackson, meet cabin eleven."**

**"Regular or undetermined?" somebody asked.**

**I didn't know what to say, but Annabeth said, "Undetermined."**

**Everybody groaned.**

Hermes winced.

**A guy who was a little older than the rest came forward.**

**"Now, now, campers. That's what we're here for. Welcome, Percy. You can have that spot on the floor, right over there."**

**The guy was about nineteen, and he looked pretty cool. He was tall and muscular, with short-cropped sandy hair and a friendly smile. He wore an orange tank top, cutoffs, sandals, and a leather necklace with five different-coloured clay beads. The only thing unsettling about his appearance was a thick white scar that ran from just beneath his right eye to his jaw, like an old knife slash.**

Thalia and Annabeth both looked sad and Hermes looked back down at his phone, his face carefully blank.

**"This is Luke," She saw me looking, and her expression hardened again. "He's your counsellor, for now."**

**"For now?" I asked.**

**"You're undetermined," Luke explained patiently. "They don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here. Cabin eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors. Naturally, we would. Hermes, our patron, is the god of travellers."**

"Holla," Apollo grinned, nudging Hermes. Said god didn't look up from his phone, vaguely muttering something about ROFL and Iris; Apollo just shrugged.

**I looked at the tiny section of floor they'd given me. I had nothing to put there to mark it as my own, no luggage, no clothes, no sleeping bag. Just the Minotaur's horn. I thought about setting that down, but then I remembered that Hermes was also the god of thieves. I looked around at the campers' faces, some sullen and suspicious, some grinning stupidly, some eyeing me as if they were waiting for a chance to pick my pockets.**

Hermes still didn't look up, but he chuckled quietly.

**"How long will I be here?" I asked.**

**"Good question," Luke said. "Until you're determined."**

**"How long will that take?"**

**The campers all laughed.**

"Harsh," Jason winced.

Some of the gods looked pained, others looked irritated and still others looked like they didn't give a flying matador.

**"Come on," Annabeth told me. "I'll show you the volleyball court."**

**"I've already seen it."**

**"Come on." She grabbed my wrist and dragged me outside. I could hear the kids of cabin eleven laughing behind me.**

**When we were a few feet away, Annabeth said, "Jackson, you have to do better than that."**

"What'd he do?" Jason frowned at Annabeth now. "You're being rude."

"I was not!" Annabeth insisted, her face going red again.

"Yes, you are," Jason told her. "He's a twelve year old kid who just lost his mother; fought a minotaur; realized his entire life was a lie; got tossed ass over tea kettle into this life, and still, no one is answering his questions. You're being a brat."

"Shut up, Grace," Annabeth snapped, her face a flaming red colour. It was quite obvious that she wasn't going to swallow her pride to apologize, even though everyone saw Jason's point.

**"What?"**

**She rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath, "I can't believe I thought you were the one."**

"Ah, so that's what this is about," Jason scoffed, crossing his arms. "You're disappointed because you think you're wrong, so you're taking it out on him."

"I'm sorry, alright?" Annabeth snapped at him, her grey eyes flashing. "I was twelve and-"

"-stupid?" Jason offered sarcastically. "Or is that too harsh a word for a daughter of Athena?"

Annabeth scowled darkly, looking like she wanted to throw something at him. Athena watched this happen with cool eyes.

"Jason has a point, Annabeth," she said after a moment, both demigods turning to her, "but Jason, you ought not to antagonize my daughter."

"My apologies," Jason replied stiffly.

"Likewise," Annabeth's tone was just as hard.

**"What's your problem?" I was getting angry now. "All I know is, I kill some bull guy—"**

**"Don't talk like that!" Annabeth told me. "You know how many kids at this camp wish they'd had your chance?"**

"To get killed?" Apollo drawled slowly.

**"To get killed?"**

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Sea Prince agrees with me!"

"...Sea Prince?" Poseidon cocked a brow.

Apollo shrugged unapologetically.

**"To fight the Minotaur! What do you think we train for?"**

Athena smiled slightly and shook her head. "My daughter, you're pride is dangerous."

"I- know," Annabeth said, as though admitting it physically hurt her. "I know, I was being a- brat to Percy. I was just... stir crazy, I guess."

"You were twelve," Athena smiled at her. "It is completely understandable."

**I shook my head. "Look, if the thing I fought really was **_**the **_**Minotaur, the same one in the ****stories ..."**

**"Yes."**

**"Then there's only one."**

**"Yes."**

**"And he died, like, a gajillion**

Hermes and Apollo snorted.

**years ago, right? Theseus killed him in the labyrinth. So ..."**

"**Monsters don't die Percy. They can be killed, but they can't die."**

**"Oh, thanks. That clears it up."**

"Like the hearing versus listening thing all over again," Leo shook his head.

**"They don't have souls, like you and me. You can dispel them for a while, maybe even for a whole lifetime if you're lucky. But they are primal forces. Chiron calls them arche-types. Eventually, they reform."**

"Which is a bitch," Jason grumbled. "Because it means you have to kill them again, but this time it's personal."

"That's what makes it fun," Ares cackled.

**I thought about Mrs. Dodds. "You mean if I killed one, accidentally, with a sword—"**

**"The Fur ... I mean, your math teacher. That's right. She's still out there. You just made her very, very mad."**

**"How did you know about Mrs. Dodds?"**

**"You talk in your sleep."**

"Watching him sleep?" Aphrodite grinned broadly. "How adorable!"

Annabeth spluttered and blushed.

**"You almost called her something. A Fury? They're Hades' torturers, right?"**

**Annabeth glanced nervously at the ground, as if she expected it to open up and swallow her.**

"That doesn't actually happen... does it?"

Hades gave Leo a razor-sharp grin.

**"You shouldn't call them by name, even here. We call them the Kindly Ones, if we have to speak of them at all."**

**"Look, is there anything we **_**can **_**say without it thundering?" I sounded whiny, even to myself, but right then I didn't care.**

"At least he's honest," Apollo sniggered.

**"Why do I have to stay in cabin eleven, anyway? Why is everybody so crowded together? ****There are plenty of empty bunks right over there."**

**I pointed to the first few cabins, and Annabeth turned pale. "You don't just choose a cabin, Percy.**

"No, that would be bad," Thalia snorted.

**It depends on who your parents are. Or ... your parent."**

"I think it's just parent in this case," Leo sniggered.

**She stared at me, waiting for me to get it.**

**"My mom is Sally Jackson," I said.** **"She works at the candy store in Grand Central Station. At least, she used to."**

**"I'm sorry about your mom, Percy. But that's not what I mean. I'm talking about your other parent. Your dad."**

Poseidon stilled.

**"He's dead. I never knew him."**

"Not dead," Aphrodite smiled brightly, "lost at sea."

Poseidon rolled his eyes, a faint smile on his mouth.

**Annabeth sighed. Clearly, she'd had this conversation before with other kids. "Your father's not dead, Percy."**

**"How can you say that? You know him?"**

**"No, of course not."**

"Do now," Thalia teased with a quiet snicker. Annabeth shoved her lightly.

**"Then how can you say—"**

**"Because I know **_**you.**_ **You wouldn't be here if you weren't one of us."**

**"You don't know anything about me."**

"Never challenge an Athena kid," Piper giggled. "Camp Half-Blood one-oh-one."

"At least, not in knowledge stuff," Leo snorted. "I could rip apart any one of them if it were to come to engineering."

"Point," Piper laughed.

**"No?" She raised an eyebrow. "I bet you moved around from school to school. I bet you were kicked out of a lot of them."**

**"How—"**

**"Diagnosed with dyslexia. Probably ADHD, too."**

**I tried to swallow my embarrassment. "What does that have to do with anything?"**

**"Taken together, it's almost a sure sign. The letters float off the page when you read, right? That's because your mind is hardwired for ancient Greek.** **And the ADHD—you're impulsive, can't sit still in the classroom. That's your battle field reflexes. In a real fight, they'd keep you ****alive. As for the attention problems, that's because you see too much, Percy, not too little. Your senses are better than a regular mortal's. Of course the teachers want you medicated. Most of them are monsters. They don't want you seeing them for what they are."**

"Teachers are monsters... can I get that written on a t-shirt?" Leo snorted.

**"You sound like ... you went through the same thing?"**

**"Most of the kids here did. If you weren't like us, you couldn't have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar."**

**"Ambrosia and nectar."**

**"The food and drink we were giving you to make you better. That stuff would've killed a ****normal kid. It would've turned your blood to fire and your bones to sand and you'd be dead. Face it. You're a half-blood."**

**A half-blood.**

**I was reeling with so many questions I didn't know where to start.**

Annabeth smiled and rolled her eyes.

**Then a husky voice yelled, "Well! A newbie!"**

Annabeth's smile disappear. "Oh..." she muttered, "right."

**I looked over. The big girl from the ugly red cabin**

Ares spluttered incoherently as Apollo and Hermes snickered.

**was sauntering toward us. She had three other girls behind her, all big and ugly and mean looking like her, all wearing camo jackets.**

**"Clarisse," Annabeth sighed. "Why don't you go polish your spear or something?"**

**"Sure, Miss Princess," the big girl said. "So I can run you through with it Friday night."**

Athena's eye twitch and she turned a piercing look onto her half-brother.

_**''Erre es korakas!"**_ **Annabeth said, which I somehow understood was Greek for 'Go to the crows!' though I had a feeling it was a worse curse than it sounded.**

Athena smirked.

**"You don't stand a chance."**

**"We'll pulverize you," Clarisse said, but her eye twitched. Perhaps she wasn't sure she could follow through on the threat. **

Annabeth and Athena both looked smug at this.

**She turned toward me. "Who's this little runt?"**

**"Percy Jackson," Annabeth said, "meet Clarisse, Daughter of Ares."**

**I blinked. "Like ... the war god?"**

"No, the god of clowns," Ares snorted.

"Oh, so _that's_ why you always have make-up on," Apollo said, his voice innocent and his eyes wide. "I thought you were just naturally that ugly!"

"No, he's worse," Hermes said with mock-thoughtfulness. "He needs that make-up, otherwise Aphrodite would dump him."

Ares spluttered and scowled darkly before lunging at his half-brothers. Apollo and Hermes cackled, darting away before he could grab them. For twenty minutes, the demigods roared with laughter and the gods could hardly breathe as Ares was easily outwitted by the two other gods. It was even funnier when Athena 'accidentally' tripped Ares, or when Poseidon slicked up the floor to make Ares slide head first into a wall.

"Enough!" Zeus finally commanded, freezing the three in place. "Sit!"

The three gods hastily did as they were bid, though Apollo and Hermes looked disappointed that their fun was at an end and Ares looked livid. Zeus glared at them before turning to Piper and giving her a pointed look.

**Clarisse sneered. "You got a problem with that?"**

**"No," I said, recovering my wits. "It explains the bad smell."**

Apollo and Hermes sniggered, Ares only looked more furious.

**Clarisse growled. "We got an initiation ceremony for newbie's, Prissy."**

**"Percy."**

**"Whatever. Come on, I'll show you."**

**"Clarisse—" Annabeth tried to say.**

**"Stay out of it, wise girl."**

**Annabeth looked pained, but she did stay out of it, and I didn't really want her help. I was the new kid. I had to earn my own rep.**

"Stupid," Piper mumbled before pushing on through the chapter.

**I handed Annabeth my minotaur horn and got ready to fight, but before I knew it, Clarisse had me by the neck and was dragging me toward a cinder-block building that I knew immediately was the bathroom. I was kicking and punching. I'd been in plenty of fights before, but this big girl Clarisse had hands like iron.**

Ares smirked nastily, glad that his kid was going to up the sea spawn. The others frowned and looked dismayed.

**She dragged me into the girls' bathroom. There was a line of toilets on one side and a line of shower stalls down the other. It smelled just like any public bathroom, and I was thinking—as much as I **_**could **_**think with Clarisse ripping my hair out—that if this place belonged to the ****gods, they should've been able to afford classier johns.**

Dionysus scoffed the loudest.

**Clarisse's friends were all laughing, and I was trying to find the strength I'd used to fight the Minotaur, but it just wasn't there.**

**"Like he's 'Big Three' material," Clarisse said as she pushed me toward one of the toilets. "Yeah, right. Minotaur probably fell over laughing, he was so stupid looking."**

Poseidon's look was dark.

**Her friends snickered. Annabeth stood in the corner, watching through her fingers. Clarisse bent me over on my knees and started pushing my head toward the toilet bowl. It reeked like rusted pipes and, well, like what goes into toilets. I strained to keep my head up. I was looking at the scummy water, thinking, I will not go into that. I won't.**

"Ew! Ares, your girl is so- eck!" Aphrodite squealed.

"Not to mention juvenile," Athena muttered.

**Then something happened. I felt a tug in the pit of my stomach.**

Poseidon grinned broadly and leant back in his seat, lacing his fingers behind his head.

**I heard the plumbing rumble, the pipes shudder. Clarisse's grip on my hair loosened. Water shot out of the toilet, making an arc straight over my head, and the next thing I knew, I was sprawled on the bathroom tiles with Clarisse screaming behind me.**

Apollo and Hermes roared with laughter, Leo could barely breath through his hysterics, Jason was biting his fist so hard it was bleeding, Piper could barely read through her giggles and Thalia had a giant grin on her face.

**I turned just as water blasted out of the toilet again, hitting Clarisse straight in the face so hard it pushed her down onto her butt. The water stayed on her like the spray from a fire hose, pushing her backward into a shower stall.**

Most everyone was laughing now, Poseidon had a large, smug grin on his face as he chuckled continuously.

**She struggled, gasping, and her friends started coming toward her.**

**But then the other toilets exploded, too, and six more streams of toilet water blasted them back. The showers acted up, too, and together all the fixtures sprayed the camouflage girls right out of the bathroom, spinning them around like pieces of garbage being washed away.**

Poseidon laughed. "That's my boy," he said cheerily. "Oh, cheer up, nephew!"

Ares glared at him and slumped in his chair.

**As soon as they were out the door, I felt the tug in my gut lessen, and the water shut off as quickly as it had started.**

**The entire bathroom was flooded. Annabeth hadn't been spared.**

"Ooh, sucks, Annabeth," Thalia chuckled, shoving her lightly.

**She was dripping wet, but she hadn't been pushed out the door. She was standing in exactly the same place, staring at me in shock.**

**I looked down and realized I was sitting in the only dry spot in the whole room. There was a circle of dry floor around me. I didn't have one drop of water on my clothes. Nothing.**

"Water resistant?" Hermes asked curiously.

"Yeah, he is," Annabeth answered, a reluctant smile on her face.

**I stood up, my legs shaky.**

**Annabeth said, "How did you ..."**

**"I don't know."**

**We walked to the door. Outside, Clarisse and her friends were sprawled in the mud, and a bunch of other campers had gathered around to gawk. Clarisse's hair was flattened across her face. Her camouflage jacket was sopping and she smelled like sewage.**

Apollo sniggered. "I need to meet your kid, Poseidon. He sounds awesome!"

"Can't we bring him here?" Hermes whined, also looking amused. "He'd be awesome!"

"I'm not having a seven year old illegitimate demigod run around Mount Olympus," Hera snapped.

"I've acknowledged him," Poseidon retorted. "He is hardly illegitimate."

Hera gave him an unimpressed look. "He's not coming here."

**She gave me a look of absolute hatred. "You are dead, new boy. You are totally dead."**

**I probably should have let it go, but I said, "You want to gargle with toilet water again, Clarisse? Close your mouth."**

Apollo and Hermes grinned.

**Her friends had to hold her back. They dragged her toward cabin five, while the other campers made way to avoid her flailing feet. Annabeth stared at me. I couldn't tell whether she was just grossed out or angry at me for dousing her.**

"Both," Annabeth admitted, "plus incredibly amused and impressed –but don't tell him I said that."

"Duly noted," Jason chuckled.

"**What?" I demanded. "What are you thinking?"**

**"I'm thinking," She said, "that I want you on my team for capture the flag."**

"Good strategy," Athena praised.

"Chapter's done," Piper said, holding the book out. "Any takers?"

"I shall read," Artemis said simply, floating the book over and looking down at the page. "Chapter seven, My Dinner Goes up in Smoke."

* * *

Chapter seven, wonderful.

I changed my pen name, so that's a thing. I actually wanted to be TheLastTruth, but apparently that was taken. So, I'm settling for second best.

Two more chapters on the way!

~LastTruth


	8. Chapter 8

**My Dinner goes up in Smoke**

Hestia smiled.

**Word of the bathroom incident spread immediately. Wherever I went, campers pointed at me and murmured something about toilet water. Or maybe they were just staring at Annabeth, who was still pretty much dripping wet.**

"Probably both," Annabeth scoffed.

**She showed me a few more places: the metal ****shop**

"Brilliant place, seriously," Leo nodded. "It has, like, _everything_."

"Nerd alert," Piper teased, pushing him lightly.

**(where kids were forging their own swords), the arts-and-crafts room (where satyrs were sandblasting a giant marble statue of a goat-man),**

"Pan, probably," Thalia muttered.

**and the climbing wall, which actually consisted of two facing walls that shook violently, dropped boulders, sprayed lava, and clashed together if you didn't get to the top fast enough.**

Annabeth made a face and Thalia chuckled lightly.

**Finally we returned to the canoeing lake, where the trail led back to the cabins.**

**"I've got training to do," Annabeth said flatly. "Dinner's at seven-thirty. Just follow your cabin to the mess hall."**

**"Annabeth, I'm sorry about the toilets."**

**"Whatever."**

**"It wasn't my fault."**

"Well, on the one hand, no it wasn't because he doesn't actually know his own strength or what he can do," Apollo said, spreading one palm, "but on the other," he stretched out the opposite, "he _so_ did."

**She looked at me skeptically, and I realized it **_**was **_**my fault. I'd made water shoot out of the bathroom fixtures. I didn't understand how. But the toilets had responded to me. I had become one with the plumbing.**

"Gross," Leo muttered, digging a tiny hammer out of his belt.

**"You need to talk to the Oracle," Annabeth said.**

**"Who?"**

**"Not who. What.** **The Oracle. I'll ****ask**** Chiron."**

"Rachel would not like that," Thalia chuckled.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Well this was before Rachel, obviously."

"Obviously."

**I stared into the lake, wishing somebody would give me a straight answer for once.**

Jason grimaced, obviously empathizing.

**I wasn't expecting anybody to be looking back at me from the bottom, so my heart skipped a beat when I noticed two teenage girls sitting cross-legged at the base of the pier, about twenty feet below.**

**They wore blue jeans and shimmering green T-shirts, and their brown hair floated loose around their shoulders as minnows darted in and out. They smiled and waved as if I were a long-lost friend.**

Poseidon chuckled, looking highly amused. "Well, you are," he said cheerily.

**I didn't know what else to do. I waved back.**

**"Don't encourage them," Annabeth warned. "Naiads are terrible flirts."**

"Jealous~!" Aphrodite half-sang.

**"Naiads," I repeated, feeling completely overwhelmed. "That's it. I want to go home now."**

**Annabeth frowned. "Don't you get it, Percy? You **_**are **_**home. This is the only safe place on earth for kids like us."**

Jason snorted, his SPQR tattoo twisting on his forearm.

**"You mean, mentally disturbed kids?"**

**"I mean **_**not human. **_**Not totally human, anyway. Half-human."**

**"Half-human and half-what?"**

**"I think you know."**

"He's just in denial at this point," Piper murmured.

**I didn't want to admit it, but I was afraid I did. I felt a tingling in my limbs, a sensation I sometimes felt when my mom talked about my dad.**

**"God," I said. "Half-god."**

Poseidon smiled, though it was touched with bitterness, sadness and frustration.

**Annabeth nodded. "Your father isn't dead, Percy. He's one of the Olympians."**

**"That's ... crazy."**

**"Is it? What's the most common thing gods did in the old stories? They ran around falling in love with humans and having kids with them.**

Annabeth stared up at the ceiling, her face burning at the chuckles and snorts she heard from the gods.

**Do you think they've changed their habits in the last few millennia?"**

**"But those are just—" I almost said **_**myths **_**again. Then I remembered Chiron's warning that in two thousand years, **_**I **_**might be considered a myth.**

"He will be," the demigods chorused, grinning at one another sheepishly.

**"But if all the kids here are half-gods—"**

**"Demigods," Annabeth said. "That's the official term. Or half-bloods."**

**"Then who's your dad?"**

**Her hands tightened around the pier railing. I got the feeling I'd just trespassed on a sensitive subject.**

"Trespassed? More like body-slammed." Thalia muttered.

"He didn't mean it," Annabeth sighed.

**"My dad is a professor at West Point," she said. "I haven't seen him since I was very small. He teaches American history."**

**"He's human."**

**"What? You assume it has to be a male god who finds a human female attractive? How sexist is that?"**

"A little sexist, but in all fairness..." Piper trailed off.

"I would advise against finishing that sentence," Poseidon chuckled amicably.

**"Who's your mom, then?"**

**"Cabin six."**

"Must be tough," Apollo remarked with a straight face. "Having a cabin for a mo-"

A burst of water smashed into him and knocked him to the floor.

"Thank you, Poseidon," Athena said cordially.

"Don't mention it," Poseidon replied dryly.

**"Meaning?"**

**Annabeth straightened. "Athena. Goddess of wisdom and battle."**

**Okay, I thought. Why not?**

**"And my dad?"**

"Nice try," Hephaestus muttered. The group was unsure if he was referring to the electronic in his hands or to Percy's question.

**"Undetermined," Annabeth said, "like I told you before. Nobody knows."**

**"Except my mother. She knew."**

**"Maybe not, Percy. Gods don't always reveal their identities."**

**"My dad would have. He loved her."**

**Annabeth gave me a cautious look. She didn't want to burst my bubble.**

"Did you love her?" Aphrodite asked of the Sea God.

Poseidon glanced out the window. "I did," he said at last. "On some level, I presume I always will. It's..." he trailed off with a fond chuckle, his eyes far away, "it's not every day a mortal woman tells you that she can't stay with you, that she needs to live her life –not be given her every whim and wish."

"She understood the wisdom in being mortal," Athena hummed, "that is... quite something. Very few mortals would do thus."

"Percy's so much like her," Poseidon turned forward, a fiery look in his eyes. "He's got that same grit, the same obstinacy."

"The more I hear about Percy, the less I'm sure if he's more like his mother or his father," Piper commented. "I mean, everyone always says that Percy is the spitting image of Poseidon. That Percy's so much like his father. Then, we're reading this book and he sounds so much like his mother."

"Why can't it be both?" Jason asked her.

Piper looked at him for a moment before smiling. "Why, indeed," she laughed.

**"Maybe you're right. Maybe he'll send a sign. That's the only way to know for sure: your father has to send you a sign claiming you as his son. Sometimes it happens."**

**"You mean sometimes it doesn't?"**

**Annabeth ran her palm along the rail. "The gods are busy. They have a lot of kids and they don't always ... Well, sometimes they don't care about us, Percy. They ignore us."**

"Painful truth," Athena remarked, "tis better than complacent lies."

"Doesn't make it right," Jason told her, a frown erasing his prior smile.

"I did not say it did," Athena replied.

**I thought about some of the kids I'd seen in the Hermes cabin, teenagers who looked sullen and depressed, as if they were waiting for a call that would never come. I'd known kids like that at Yancy Academy, shuffled off to boarding school by rich parents who didn't have the time to deal with them. But gods should behave better.**

Hermes snorted. "High hopes, kid. I doubt the gods can change; not after a millennia plus."

"Well, with that type of attitude you won't," Leo snorted.

"Percy used to say something like that, you remember, Thalia?" Annabeth had a faraway look in her eyes. "He said that the reason why most immortals found demigods irritating is because we believe that we can actually change fate. We believe we might just have a chance and we challenge their beliefs."

"I remember," Thalia smirked, "he also said that the reason why most of them hate us is because we not only believe, but we prove it."

"Rather arrogant," Zeus scoffed.

"And yet... fitting, I think," Athena smiled, looking highly intrigued. "I am.. curious to meet young Perseus now."

**"So I'm stuck here," I said. "That's it? For the rest of my life?"**

**"It depends," Annabeth said. "Some campers only stay the summer. If you're a child of Aphrodite or Demeter,** **you're probably not a real powerful force.**

Piper frowned. "Perhaps not, but that doesn't mean you should write us off!"

"Quite right, dove!" Aphrodite smiled beatifically.

**The monsters might ignore you, so you can get by with a few months of summer training and live in the mortal world the rest of the year. But for some of us, it's too dangerous to leave.**

"Of course, that doesn't stop them," Leo sniggered. "What's the tally? Son of Hades – he never stays in one place too long, does he? Daughter of Zeus – she joined the hunters of Artemis, didn't she? Nomadic and all. Son of Ze- sorry, _Jupiter_ – well, the Roman's don't exactly do things the Greek way anyways. And Son of Poseidon? Jeez. From what I hear, Percy's hardly ever in camp when he's _not_ missing."

"I thought you said he had been switched with Jason," Athena remarked shrewdly.

"He has been, or at least, we assume he has been." Annabeth replied, her eyes were dark and somber. "All evidence points that way, at least."

"But we don't have physical proof," Thalia added. "We've haven't seen him in... months."

Poseidon frowned.

**We're year-rounders. In the mortal world, we attract monsters. They sense us. They come to challenge us. Most of the time, they'll ignore us until we're old enough to cause trouble—about ten or eleven years old, but after that, most demigods either make their way here, or they get killed off. A few manage to survive in the outside world and become famous. Believe me, if I told you the names, you'd know them. Some don't even realize they're demigods. But very, very few are like that."**

**"So monsters can't get in here?"**

**Annabeth shook her head. "Not unless they're intentionally stocked in the woods or specially summoned by somebody on the inside."**

Annabeth winced.

**"Why would anybody want to summon a monster?"**

**"Practice fights. Practical jokes."**

**"Practical jokes?"**

Hermes cackled with amusement.

**"The point is, the borders are sealed to keep mortals and monsters out. From the outside, mortals look into the valley and see nothing unusual, just a strawberry farm."**

**"So ... you're a year-rounder?"**

**Annabeth nodded. From under the collar of her T-shirt she pulled a leather necklace with five clay beads of different colours.**

At this, the gods turned to look for the beads. Annabeth sighed and tugged out her necklace of beads, ten separate pieces now decorated the strip of leather. The other four also had a necklace, though they only had one bead each.

"The Romans had a more direct approach," Jason said when asked, showing them the twelve lines of his tattoo.

"Scarification," Annabeth muttered. "Seems a little... extensive."

"I think I'll stick with the beads, thanks," Leo snorted, tucking his necklace back into his shirt.

Jason rolled his eyes, unwilling to get into an argument with them.

**It was just like Luke's, except Annabeth's also had a big gold ring strung on it, like a college ring.**

**"I've been here since I was seven," she said. "Every August, on the last day of summer session, you get a bead for surviving another year. I've been here longer than most of the counsellors, and they're all in college."**

"How does that work?" Apollo cocked a brow. "If you were seven when you first showed up, and twelve is the average, then eighteen for college... That's -what?- six beads for the kids in college and five for you?"

Annabeth shrugged.

**"Why did you come so young?"**

**She twisted the ring on her necklace. "None of your business."**

Thalia gripped Annabeth's shoulder.

**"Oh." I stood there for a minute in uncomfortable silence. "So ... I could just walk out of here right now if I wanted to?"**

"Monsters, right this way," Hermes sniggered.

**"It would be suicide, but you could, with Mr. D's or Chiron's permission. But they wouldn't give permission until the end of the summer session unless ..."**

**"Unless?"**

**"You were granted a quest. But that hardly ever happens.**

All the demigods snorted.

**The last time …" Her voice trailed off. I could tell from her tone that the last time hadn't gone well.**

**"Back in the sick room," I said, "when you were feeding me that stuff—"**

**"Ambrosia."**

**"Yeah. You asked me something about the summer solstice."**

**Annabeth's shoulders tensed. "So you **_**do **_**know something?"**

**"Well... no. Back at my old school, I overheard Grover and Chiron talking about it. Grover mentioned the summer solstice. He said something like we didn't have much time, because of the deadline. What did that mean?"**

"If she just asked him about it, why would he assume that she knows anything more?" Ares snorted.

"Because Annabeth is a smart girl? So Percy defers to her because of this?" Leo offered with a shit-eating grin.

"Shut up, brat!"

"After you, Ares," Hephaestus rumbled.

**She clenched her fists.**

**"I wish I knew. Chiron and the satyrs, they know, but they won't tell me. Something is wrong in Olympus, something pretty major.**

The gods exchanged looks.

**Last time I was there, everything seemed so **_**normal**_**."**

"Then something happened the last time you were there," Athena remarked simply. "Tis most obvious."

**"You've been to Olympus?"**

**"Some of us year-rounders—Luke and Clarisse and I and a few others—we took a field trip during winter solstice. That's when the gods have their big annual council."**

Most of the gods rolled their eyes with the reminder.

**"But... how did you get there?"**

**"The Long Island Railroad, of course. You get off at Penn Station. Empire State Building, special elevator to the six hundredth floor." She looked at me like she was sure I must know this already.**

Annabeth flushed at the looks she was getting.

**"You **_**are **_**a New Yorker, right?"**

**"Oh, sure." As far as I knew, there were only a hundred and two floors in the Empire State Building, but I decided not to point that out.**

"Smart move, kid," Apollo chuckled.

**"Right after we visited," Annabeth continued, "the weather got weird, as if the gods had started fighting.**

"If it's to do with the weather, then it's only two_ specific_ gods that may be fighting," Hermes pointed out. "God of Storms and the God of Lightning."

"Poseidon and Zeus," Hades rolled his eyes. "Why am I not surprised?"

**A couple of times since, I've overheard satyrs talking. The best I can figure out is that something important was stolen.**

"Like lightning?" Athena shook her head. "Well, this is turning quite... interesting."

"Explain," Zeus demanded of his daughter.

"Tis simple, Father," she said, "the weather is acting up, someone has stolen something, the book is titled the Lightning Thief. Therefore, someone has stolen the Master Bolt and you are blaming Poseidon."

"Lovely," Poseidon drawled.

Zeus' hands crackled with energy, as he summoned the Master Bolt to his hands. The shaft of light sparked and danced dangerously as the god turned it over carefully. His expression was dark, but he did not speak.

**And if it isn't returned by summer solstice, there's going to be trouble. When you came, I was hoping ... I mean— Athena can get along with just about anybody, except for Ares. And of course she's got the rivalry with Poseidon.**

Annabeth rolled her eyes with a fond smile as Poseidon twitched in irritation at being compared to Ares.

**But, I mean, aside from that, I thought we could work together. I thought you might know something."**

**I shook my head. I wished I could help her, but I felt too hungry and tired and mentally overloaded to ask any more questions.**

"Well, that's a first," Thalia noted dryly.

**"I've got to get a quest," Annabeth muttered to herself. "I'm **_**not **_**too young. If they would just tell me the problem …"**

Athena raised a brow slowly. "You must learn to pace yourself, daughter," she said after a moment, "your hubris is dangerous."

Annabeth winced. "Yes, Mother."

**I could smell barbecue smoke coming from somewhere nearby. Annabeth must've heard my stomach growl. She told me to go on, she'd catch me later. I left her on the pier, tracing her finger across the rail as if drawing a battle plan.**

Annabeth flushed, causing Hermes and Apollo to snigger.

**Back at cabin eleven, everybody was talking and horsing around, waiting for dinner. For the first time, I noticed that a lot of the campers had similar features: sharp noses, upturned eyebrows, mischievous smiles. They were the kind of kids that teachers would peg as troublemakers.**

Hermes grinned. "My kids are epic!"

**Thankfully, nobody paid much attention to me as I walked over to my spot on the floor and plopped down with my minotaur horn. The counsellor, Luke, came over. He had the Hermes family resemblance, too. It was marred by that scar on his right cheek,**

Annabeth flinched.

**but his smile was intact.**

**"Found you a sleeping bag," he said. "And here, I stole you some toiletries from the camp store."**

**I couldn't tell if he was kidding about the stealing part.**

"One of Hermes' kids? Nah," Apollo chuckled, "he's telling the truth."

**I said, "Thanks."**

**"No prob." Luke sat next to me, pushed his back against the wall. "Tough first day?"**

**"I don't belong here," I said. "I don't even believe in gods."**

**"Yeah," he said. "That's how we all started. Once you start believing in them? It doesn't get any easier."**

The gods frowned at one another and Annabeth looked sad.

**The bitterness in his voice surprised me, because Luke seemed like a pretty easygoing guy. He looked like he could handle just about anything.**

Hermes looked curious, yet wary. He knew better than to assume that Luke's fate could be changed... but... Perhaps his son _could_ handle it.

**"So your dad is Hermes?" I asked.**

**He pulled a switchblade out of his back pocket, and for a second I thought he was going to gut me,**

"Twitchy little..." Ares trailed off into grumbling.

**but he just scraped the mud off the sole of his sandal. "Yeah. Hermes."**

**"The wing-footed messenger guy."**

Hermes smirked.

**"That's him. Messengers. Medicine. Travellers, merchants, thieves. Anybody who uses the roads. That's why you're here, enjoying cabin eleven's hospitality. Hermes isn't picky about who he sponsors."**

His smirk dissolved. "Hey!"

Apollo snickered at him.

**I figured Luke didn't mean to call me a nobody. He just had a lot on his mind.**

Thalia didn't look so sure, though she sported the same sad look as Annabeth.

"**You ever meet your dad?" I asked.**

**"Once."**

**I waited, thinking that if he wanted to tell me, he'd tell me. Apparently, he didn't. I wondered if the story had anything to do with how he got his scar.**

Hermes' frown deepened.

**Luke looked up and managed a smile. "Don't worry about it, Percy. The campers here, they're mostly good people. After all, we're extended family, right?**

"Didn't even think of that," Piper muttered, Leo cackled.

**We take care of each other."**

**He seemed to understand how lost I felt, and I was grateful for that, because an older guy like him—even if he was a counsellor—should've steered clear of an uncool middle-schooler like me. But Luke had welcomed me into the cabin. He'd even stolen me some toiletries, which was the nicest thing anybody had done for me all day.**

Annabeth blushed and stared at her hands. Looking back now, it was embarrassing just how arrogant she was... and how cruel she was to Percy. It was unintentional, yes. But it was still mean.

**I decided to ask him my last big question, the one that had been bothering me all afternoon. "Clarisse, from Ares, was joking about me being 'Big Three' material. Then Annabeth ... twice, she said I might be 'the one.' She said I should talk to the Oracle. What was that all about?"**

**Luke folded his knife. "I hate prophecies."**

All the demigods groaned and the gods look like they agreed.

**"What do you mean?"**

**His face twitched around the scar. "Let's just say I messed things up for everybody else. The last two years, ever since my trip to the Garden of the Hesperides went sour, Chiron hasn't allowed any more quests.**

"What're the Garden of Hesp-"

"Hush, Leo, it'll be explained!"

**Annabeth's been dying to get out into the world. She pestered Chiron so much he finally told her he already knew her fate. He'd had a prophecy from the Oracle. He wouldn't tell her the whole thing, but he said Annabeth wasn't destined to go on a quest yet. She had to wait until...somebody special came to the camp."**

"Well, judging by the title..." Athena shook her head.

**"Somebody special?"**

**"Don't worry about it, kid," Luke said. "Annabeth wants to think every new camper who comes through here is the omen she's been waiting for.**

Annabeth blushed darker.

**Now, come on, it's dinnertime."**

**The moment he said it, a horn blew in the distance. Somehow, I knew it was a conch shell, even though I'd never heard one before.**

Poseidon's smile was lop-sided and his eyes sparkled like the Mediterranean Sea at sunset.

**Luke yelled, "Eleven, fall in!"**

**The whole cabin, about twenty of us, filed into the commons yard. We lined up in order of seniority, so of course I was dead last. Campers came from the other cabins, too, except for the three empty cabins at the end,**

Hera sniffed.

**and cabin eight, which had looked normal in the daytime, but was now starting to glow silver as the sun went down.**

Artemis smiled mischievously.

**We marched up the hill to the mess hall pavilion. Satyrs joined us from the meadow. Naiads emerged from the canoeing lake. A few other girls came out of the woods— and when I say out of the woods, I mean **_**straight **_**out of the woods. I saw one girl, about nine or ten years old, melt from the side of a maple tree and come skipping up the hill.**

Leo started humming and Piper rolled her eyes, shoving him lightly.

"No, Leo," she drawled, "we are not 'Off to see the Wizard'."

"But he's the wonderful wizard of Oz," Leo replied innocently, causing Jason to snort.

**In all, there were maybe a hundred campers, a few dozen satyrs, and a dozen assorted wood nymphs and naiads.**

Annabeth couldn't help but feel sad, pulling Percy's blue hoodie further around her. So many had died during the war...

**At the pavilion, torches blazed around the marble columns. A central fire burned in a bronze brazier the size of a bathtub. Each cabin had its own table, covered in white cloth trimmed in purple. Four of the tables were empty, but cabin eleven's was way overcrowded.**

"Of course it was," Hermes mumbled, twirling his caduceus lightly.

**I had to squeeze on to the edge of a bench with half my butt hanging off.**

**I saw Grover sitting at table twelve with Mr. D, a few satyrs, and a couple of plump blond boys who looked just like Mr. D.**

Dionysus nodded approvingly at the mention of his twin boys.

**Chiron stood to one side, the picnic table being way too small for a centaur.**

**Annabeth sat at table six with a bunch of serious-looking athletic kids, all with her grey eyes and honey-blond hair.**

"How does that work?" Leo looked confused. "I mean -no offence, or anything- but your hair is dark... so why are they all blonde? I... wouldn't think you're the type to change your appearance just for a guy or something."

Athena cocked a brow as a few gods chuckled at her expense. "Gods can change their appearance at will, Son of Hephaestus," she told him gravely.

"In other words," Aphrodite added, not looking up from filing her nails, "she got tired of the dumb blonde jokes."

The gods cracked up as Athena and Annabeth shot the Goddess of Love filthy looks.

**Clarisse sat behind me at Ares' table. She'd apparently gotten over being hosed down, because she was laughing and belching right alongside her friends.**

"Siblings," Jason corrected.

**Finally, Chiron pounded his hoof against the marble floor of the pavilion, and everybody fell silent. He raised a glass. "To the gods!"**

**Everybody else raised their glasses. "To the gods!"**

**Wood nymphs came forward with platters of food: grapes, apples, strawberries, cheese, fresh bread, and yes, barbecue! My glass was empty, but Luke said, "Speak to it. Whatever you want—non-alcoholic, of course."**

**I said, "Cherry Coke."**

**The glass filled with sparkling caramel liquid.**

**Then I had an idea. "**_**Blue **_**Cherry Coke."**

Annabeth and Thalia giggled while Poseidon looked highly amused.

**The soda turned a violent shade of cobalt. I took a cautious sip. Perfect. I drank a toast to my mother.**

**She's not gone, I told myself. Not permanently, anyway. She's in the Underworld. And if that's a real place, then someday...**

"Damn well better not," Hades scowled. "I'll not have a sea-spawned brat in my domain."

"Watch your words well, brother," Poseidon warned slowly. "I am not above acting an eye for an eye."

"Gentlemen," Hera said sweetly. "Let's not fight."

The two didn't speak further, but both looked annoyed.

**"Here you go, Percy," Luke said, handing me a platter of smoked brisket.**

**I loaded my plate and was about to take a big bite when I noticed everybody getting up, carrying their plates toward the fire in the centre of the pavilion.**

Hestia smiled.

**I wondered if they were going for dessert or something.**

"Seaweed brain," Annabeth muttered, rolling her eyes.

**"Come on," Luke told me.**

**As I got closer, I saw that everyone was taking a portion of their meal and dropping it into the fire, the ripest strawberry, the juiciest slice of beef, the warmest, most buttery roll.**

**Luke murmured in my ear, "Burnt offerings for the gods. They like the smell."**

**"You're kidding."**

**His look warned me not to take this lightly, but I couldn't help wondering why an immortal, all-powerful being would like the smell of burning food.**

The gods simply laughed.

**Luke approached the fire, bowed his head, and tossed in a cluster of fat red grapes. "Hermes."**

**I was next.**

**I wished I knew what god's name to say. Finally, I made a silent plea. **_**Whoever you are, tell me. Please.**_

Poseidon inclined his head unconsciously.

**I scraped a big slice of brisket into the flames. When I caught a whiff of the smoke, I didn't gag.**

**It smelled nothing like burning food. It smelled of hot chocolate and fresh-baked brownies, hamburgers on the grill and wildflowers, and a hundred other good things that shouldn't have gone well together, but did. I could almost believe the gods could live off that smoke. When everybody had returned to their seats and finished eating their meals, Chiron pounded his hoof again for our attention.**

**Mr. D got up with a huge sigh. "Yes, I suppose I'd better say hello to all you brats.**

Dionysus made a valiant effort of pretending not to notice the dark looks the gods were sending him.

**Well, hello. Our activities director, Chiron, says the next capture the flag is Friday. Cabin five presently holds the laurels."**

**A bunch of ugly cheering rose from the Ares table.**

Ares grinned nastily.

"**Personally," Mr. D continued, "I couldn't care less, but congratulations. Also, I should tell you that we have a new camper today. Peter Johnson."**

Annabeth laughed in disbelief. "I can't believe I'd almost forgotten that!"

"Forgotten what?" Dionysus asked, still not looking at the others.

"You never called him by his right name until the war," she explained. "Always 'Perry Jordan' or 'Paul James' or something."

**Chiron murmured something.**

**"Er, Percy Jackson," Mr. D corrected. "That's right. Hurrah, and all that. Now run along to your silly campfire. Go on."**

Apollo snorted. "Fun sucker."

**Everybody cheered. We all headed down toward the amphitheatre, where Apollo's cabin led a sing-along.**

Artemis hastily clapped her hand over her twin's mouth before he could start to sing.

**We sang camp songs about the gods and ate s'mores and joked around, and the funny thing was, I didn't feel that anyone was staring at me anymore. I felt that I was home.**

The demigods smiled, though Jason's was a touch wistful.

**Later in the evening, when the sparks from the campfire were curling into a starry sky, the conch horn blew again, and we all filed back to our cabins. I didn't realize how exhausted I was until I collapsed on my borrowed sleeping bag.**

**My fingers curled around the Minotaur's horn. I thought about my mom, but I had good thoughts: her smile, the bedtime stories she would read me when I was a kid, the way she would tell me not to let the bedbugs bite.**

Poseidon smiled.

**When I closed my eyes, I fell asleep instantly.**

**That was my first day at Camp Half-Blood.**

**I wish I'd known how briefly I would get to enjoy my new home.**

"I'll read next," Poseidon offered, his smile having disappeared at the last line. Taking the book, he opened it. "Chapter eight," he said, "We Capture a Flag."

Annabeth grinned.

* * *

Am I the only person who realizes how long it actually takes to get to the main plot? I mean, really... I understand the necessity and all, but it's a killer trying to do all these chapters when they end up being around fifty pages long. I'm getting so sick of reading this book, I'm anxious to start on the Sea of Monsters.

To clarify: I've just started adding text to the chapter We Shop for Water Beds.

In any case,

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	9. Chapter 9

**We Capture a Flag**

"Ah yes," Dionysus muttered sourly, "one of the preferred games at Camp Half-Blood."

"Also one of the best," Thalia replied.

**The ****next**** few days I settled into a routine that felt almost normal, if you don't count the fact that I was getting lessons from satyrs, nymphs, and a centaur.**

"Well, that _is_ normal." Piper pointed out with a small smile. "At least... for a demigod."

"For _Greek_ demigods," Jason pointed out, "let us distinguish."

"Do Romans have a different system then?" Leo frowned.

Jason chuckled. "Incredibly different, Leo."

**Each morning I took Ancient Greek from Annabeth, and we talked about the gods and goddesses in the present tense, which was kind of weird.**

"I can see how it might be," Hestia remarked softly.

**I discovered Annabeth was right about my dyslexia: Ancient Greek wasn't that hard for me to read. At least, no harder than English.**

"It's hardly that difficult," Annabeth scoffed. "He was just unused to reading it!"

"But Percy has serious ADHD," Thalia pointed out to her. "More so than usual, I mean."

"That is true..." Annabeth admitted.

"If ADHD is the natural inclination to be constantly on the move... does that mean that Percy is a natural at sword play or- whatever?" Piper asked.

Leo snorted. "Pipes, you just heard how he took down a minotaur. _Untrained_."

"Good point."

Zeus frowned, he did not like the implication that Perseus Jackson was an incredibly powerful demigod. Perhaps it was natural for a child of he and his brothers, but still. It meant a serious change in the world if mortals _and_ gods.

**After a couple of mornings, I could stumble through a few lines of Homer without too much headache.**

**The rest of the day, I'd rotate through outdoor activities, looking for something I was good at. Chiron tried to teach me archery,** **but we found out pretty quick I wasn't any good with a bow and arrow.**

Poseidon chuckled. "You're a son of the sea; you're going to suck at archery. The best long-range you'll be able to do adequately is throwing something."

"Do you reckon we should get Percy a trident?" Thalia muttered to Annabeth.

"No, he's too attached to Riptide," Annabeth snorted in reply.

**He didn't complain, even when he had to de-snag a stray arrow out of his tail.**

Apollo sniggered and Artemis looked amused.

**Foot racing? No good either. The wood-nymph instructors left me in the dust. They told me not to worry about it. They'd had centuries of practice running away from lovesick gods.**

Dionysus suddenly found the ceiling incredibly interesting, especially when Zeus began to glare at him.

**But still, it was a little humiliating to be slower than a tree.**

"Hey Jason," Leo grinned broadly. "Can you jump higher than a house?"

"What-?" Jason looked confused. "Er... no...?"

"Seriously? Dude, that's pathetic!" Leo snickered. "Come on man, houses can't even jump!"

Jason rolled his eyes and chucked a pillow at him.

**And wrestling? Forget it. Every time I got on the mat, Clarisse would pulverize me.**

Ares smirked.

**"There's more where that came from, punk," she'd mumble in my ear.**

**The only thing I really excelled at was canoeing,**

"Of course," Athena rolled her eyes.

**and that wasn't the kind of heroic skill people expected to see from the kid who had beaten the Minotaur.**

"Then why don't they give him a sword?" Ares muttered. "From what I heard with the minotaur, he'd be good."

"None of them were balanced," Annabeth replied. "At least, not for him. None of them fit."

"That's because he should be using Riptide," Poseidon responded. "I gave him a blessing when he was an infant, you all know that. But part of that blessing gave him the strength to use _Anaklusmos_... unfortunately, however..."

"He'll only be able to use the sword Riptide, and none other." Athena sighed and rolled her eyes.

**I knew the senior campers and counsellors were watching me, trying to decide who my dad was, but they weren't having an easy time of it.**

"That's my brother for you," Hades drawled, "can never do anything the easy way."

Poseidon just chuckled good-naturedly.

**I wasn't as strong as the Ares kids,**

"Yeah, you sure as hell ain't my kid," Ares snorted.

**or as good at archery as the Apollo kids.**

"Sorry, kiddo," Apollo laughed.

**I didn't have Hephaestus's skill with metalwork**

Hephaestus didn't even look like he noticed his name being used.

**or—gods forbid— Dionysus's way with vine plants.**

"Trust me, the feeling is mutual," Dionysus drawled.

**Luke told me I might be a child of Hermes, a kind of jack-of-all-trades, master of none. But I got the feeling he was just trying to make me feel better. He really didn't know what to make of me either.**

"You worried him," Thalia murmured.

"Dude, I've seen the Hermes kids," Leo said, cocking a brow, "you don't look _anything_ like them."

"That's true enough," Thalia nodded. "He looks like -well- Poseidon."

"Near perfect copy," Annabeth agreed.

Poseidon grinned fondly.

**Despite all that, I liked camp. I got used to the morning fog over the beach, the smell of hot strawberry fields in the afternoon, even the weird noises of monsters in the woods at night. I would eat dinner with cabin eleven, scrape part of my meal into the fire, and try to feel some connection to my real dad. Nothing came.**

His grin faded into a sad smile.

**Just that warm feeling I'd always had, like the memory of his smile. I tried not to think too much about my mom, but I kept wondering: if gods and monsters were real, if all this magical stuff was possible, surely there was some way to save her, to bring her back...**

"Somethings supersede even us," Hades said gravely.

**I started to understand Luke's bitterness and how he seemed to resent his father, Hermes. So okay, maybe gods had important things to do. But couldn't they call once in a while, or thunder, or something? Dionysus could make Diet Coke appear out of thin air. Why couldn't my dad, whoever he was, make a phone appear?**

"Hence, the basis for our war," Annabeth sighed, "at least, in part."

"Resentment," Thalia nodded, grimacing. The gods shot Zeus a pointed look, which he ignored.

**Thursday afternoon, three days after I'd arrived at Camp Half-Blood, I had my first sword-fighting lesson. Everybody from cabin eleven gathered in the big circular arena,**

"Don't some usually skive?" Piper frowned. "I could have sworn-"

"They do," Annabeth said bluntly. "Most, well, some of the Hermes kids are more knife-types anyways, or bow types. Not so much swordsmen and swordswomen."

"Doesn't mean they can't be," Hermes replied, looking somewhat affronted.

"Never said they couldn't be," Annabeth responded.

**where Luke would be our instructor.**

**We started with basic stabbing and slashing, using some straw-stuffed dummies in Greek armour. I guess I did okay. At least, I understood what I was supposed to do and my reflexes were good.**

"Is he the type to underestimate himself?" Ares asked almost immediately. "Or is he pretty spot-on?"

"He's pretty spot-on," said Thalia, "but he tends to downplay his abilities."

"So, in faster segments -like battle scenes- we'll get an accurate judgement, but in practice sessions, we won't?"

"Pretty much. Percy's... modest."

**The problem was, I couldn't find a blade that felt right in my hands. Either they were too heavy, or too light, or too long. Luke tried his best to fix me up, but he agreed that none of the practice blades seemed to work for me.**

Poseidon smiled mysteriously, and no one could tell if he was upset by this disadvantage, or amused by it.

**We moved on to duelling in pairs. Luke announced he would be my partner, since this was my first time.**

Aphrodite giggled.

**"Good luck," one of the campers told me. "Luke's the best swordsman in the last three hundred years."**

For some reason, Athena noted that Annabeth and Thalia both seemed to be fighting with themselves. For a moment, they would smile, but then it would turn into a sad flinch. Like they couldn't decide whether they wanted to agree with the previous statement or not.

**"Maybe he'll go easy on me," I said.**

**The camper snorted.**

**Luke showed me thrusts and parries and shield blocks the hard way. With every swipe, I got a little more battered and bruised. "Keep your guard up, Percy," he'd say, then whap me in the ribs with the flat of his blade. "No, not that far up!" **_**Whap! **_**"Lunge!" **_**Whap! **_**"Now, back!" **_**Whap!**_

"Only way to learn," Ares said a little too cheerfully.

**By the time he called a break, I was soaked in sweat. Everybody swarmed the drinks cooler. Luke poured ice water on his head, which looked like such a good idea, I did the same.**

Poseidon's chuckle rumbled through the room, if Annabeth didn't know any better, it sounded almost _mocking_.

**Instantly, I felt better. Strength surged back into my arms. The sword didn't feel so awkward.**

**"Okay, everybody circle up!" Luke ordered. "If Percy doesn't mind, I want to give you a little demo."**

"Pick-on-Percy day," Leo announced cheerily.

**Great, I thought. Let's all watch Percy get pounded.**

Leo laughed along with Apollo, Hermes, and Ares (though the latter sounded a bit cruel).

**The Hermes guys**

"And girls!" Artemis interjected with a huff. "There must be some girls in the Hermes cabin!"

**gathered around. They were suppressing smiles. I figured they'd been in my shoes before and couldn't wait to see how Luke used me for a punching bag.**

"Probably," Jason snorted.

**He told everybody he was going to demonstrate a disarming technique: how to twist the enemy's blade with the flat of your own sword so that he had no choice but to drop his weapon.**

**"This is difficult," he stressed. "I've had it used against me. No laughing at Percy, now. Most swordsmen have to work years to master this technique."**

Jason nodded along with this statement. Back when he still had his coin, he had learnt pretty fast that he worked best with the spear naturally. But the sword wasn't too bad, it just took a while to get a hang of it.

**He demonstrated the move on me in slow motion. Sure enough, the sword clattered out of my hand.**

**"Now in real time," he said, after I'd retrieved my weapon. "We keep sparring until one of us pulls it off. Ready, Percy?"**

**I nodded, and Luke came after me. Somehow, I kept him from getting a shot at the hilt of my sword. My senses opened up.**

"Ah, the ADHD," Athena nodded. "This is what you meant, yes?"

Annabeth nodded in reply. "He has a harder time with sitting still and reading, or doing something that involves just -well- being still. But he's got an easier time when it comes to fighting instincts; he works well on his feet."

"And obviously this is augmented when water is involved, yes?" Athena added, now turning to Poseidon.

"Of course," Poseidon replied, a smirk on his face.

**I saw his attacks coming. I countered. I stepped forward and tried a thrust of my own. Luke deflected it easily, but I saw a change in his face. His eyes narrowed, and he started to press me with more force.**

**The sword grew heavy in my hand. The balance wasn't right.**

"Don't get me wrong, I don't like this kid," Ares snorted, "but seriously, that ought to be a crime."

"Is your _other side_ coming out, brother?" Artemis asked slowly, warily. Obviously having noticed how he seemed to be focusing more on the strategy and _honour_ of the battle than the fact that it is happening in the first place.

"What?" A flicker in Ares' face happened before he shook his head violently. "No, no! I'm- I'm fine."

Jason grimaced. "I'm sorry, I'm probably not helping with the whole... Roman versus Greek, thing."

"It's whatever, kid," Ares snapped, shaking his head again and adjusting his sunglasses. "Don't worry about it; I can handle it."

The demigods didn't look so sure and the gods looked wary.

**I knew it was only a matter of seconds before Luke took me down, so I figured, What the heck? I tried the disarming manoeuvre. My blade hit the base of Luke's and I twisted, putting my whole weight into a downward thrust.**

**Luke's sword rattled against the stones.**

Hermes and Apollo cheered as Poseidon leant back in his chair, his customary smile-smirk firmly in place.

**The tip of my blade was an inch from his undefended chest.**

**The other campers were silent.**

**I lowered my sword. "Um, sorry."**

Ares snorted. "Stupid punk," he grumbled, causing the Olympians to relax.

**For a moment, Luke was too stunned to speak.**

**"Sorry?" His scarred face broke into a grin. "By the gods, Percy, why are you sorry? Show me that again!"**

**I didn't want to. The short burst of manic energy had completely abandoned me.**

"More like the cold water heated up," Annabeth half-smiled.

**But Luke insisted. This time, there was no contest. The moment our swords connected, Luke hit my hilt and sent my weapon skidding across the floor.**

**After a long pause, somebody in the audience said, "Beginner's luck?"**

"I doubt that," Jason said, his tone was careful and his face was thoughtful.

"You alright, Jase?" Piper frowned, nudging him lightly.

"What? Oh, yeah, don't worry about me," he flashed her a charming smile.

In truth, his mind was racing. He assumed it was natural for wanting to know who was the most powerful between two demigods, but he hadn't figured Percy to be on such a scale that he was a bona fide natural. Yes, Jason was good, and he was an excellent swordsmen; but not a natural like Percy Jackson was. He couldn't help but wonder if the two of them were equals...

**Luke wiped the sweat off his brow. He appraised at me with an entirely new interest. "Maybe," he said. "But I wonder what Percy could do with a balanced sword..."**

"You'll see," Annabeth tried to keep her voice light, but there was a hint of something sad singing harmony with it.

**Friday afternoon, I was sitting with Grover at the lake, resting from a near-death experience on the climbing wall. Grover had scampered to the top like a mountain goat, but the lava had almost gotten me. My shirt had smoking holes in it. The hairs had been singed off my forearms.**

"Don't let it fool you," Annabeth scoffed, "Percy's always been able to withstand hotter temperatures than everyone else. If he's smoking, then the rest of us would've been burnt."

"And tell me Annabeth," Aphrodite cooed, "_is_ Percy 'smoking'?"

Annabeth frowned at her before her eyes widened and she looked away, her face red. Causing quite a few gods to laugh at her reaction.

**We sat on the pier, watching the naiads do underwater basket-weaving, until I got up the nerve to ask Grover how his conversation had gone with Mr. D. His face turned a sickly shade of yellow.**

"That's a new one," Piper muttered.

**"Fine," he said. "Just great."**

"As if he'd say anything else," Dionysus scoffed.

**"So your career's still on track?"**

**He glanced at me nervously. "Chiron t-told you I want a searcher's license?"**

**"Well... no." I had no idea what a searcher's license was, but it didn't seem like the right time to ask.** **"He just said you had big plans, you know ... and that you needed credit for completing a keeper's assignment. So did you get it?"**

"Slash that," Apollo snorted. "The satyr's got heart and nerve, but not much skill."

"Or brain," Dionysus muttered.

**Grover looked down at the naiads. "Mr. D suspended judgement. He said I hadn't failed or succeeded with you yet, so our fates were still tied together. If you got a quest and I went along to protect you, and we both came back alive, then maybe he'd consider the job complete."**

**My spirits lifted. "Well, that's not so bad, right?"**

_**"Blaa-ha-ha!**_ **He might as well have transferred me to stable-cleaning duty. The chances of you getting a quest... and even if you did, why would you want **_**me **_**along?"**

"You'd be surprised," Annabeth and Thalia chorused, grinning at one another.

**"Of course I'd want you along!"**

**Grover stared glumly into the water. "Basket-weaving ... Must be nice to have a useful skill."**

**I tried to reassure him that he had lots of talents, but that just made him look more miserable. We talked about canoeing and swordplay for a while, then debated the pros and cons of the different gods.**

The gods all looked both intrigued and unimpressed; as if they desperately wished to know what was said, but assumed that it would be undignified to ask.

**Finally, I asked him about the four empty cabins.**

**"Number eight, the silver one, belongs to Artemis," he said. "She vowed to be a maiden forever. So of course, no kids. The cabin is, you know, honorary. If she didn't have one, she'd be mad."**

Artemis huffed. "Well, not necessarily. I'd prefer that it would be a cabin dedicated to my hunters, not my nonexistent children."

"Might as well be one in the same," Thalia pointed out, her lieutenant's circlet shimmering.

"True," Artemis conceded.

"Thalia," Zeus rumbled, looking curious, "how did you become a Huntress?"

Thalia smiled uneasily. "You'll see, Father."

**"Yeah, okay. But the other three, the ones at the end. Are those the Big Three?"**

**Grover tensed. We were getting close to a touchy subject.**

"Gee, wonder why?" Hades muttered sarcastically.

**"No. One of them, number two, is Hera's," he said. "That's another honorary thing. She's the goddess of marriage, so of course she wouldn't go around having affairs with mortals.**

Hera glared at the gods surrounding her; Zeus, specifically, didn't look her way.

**That's her husband's job.**

Hera scoffed loudly at this but Zeus didn't react, keeping his eyes pinned to the book in his brother's hands. Apollo and Hermes looked like they were fighting laughter.

**When we say the Big Three, we mean the three powerful brothers, the sons of Kronos."**

All three in mention, grimaced at the name of their father. But they certainly weren't the only ones.

**"Zeus, Poseidon, Hades."**

**"Right. You know. After the great battle with the Titans, they took over the world from their dad and drew lots to decide who got what."**

"I think it fits rather well, don't you?" Hades asked sarcastically.

"I certainly wouldn't give up my ocean," Poseidon chuckled.

**"Zeus got the sky," I remembered. "Poseidon the sea, Hades the Underworld."**

**"Uh-huh."**

**"But Hades doesn't have a cabin here."**

**"No. He doesn't have a throne on Olympus, either. He sort of does his own thing down in the Underworld. If he did have a cabin here ..." Grover shuddered. "Well, it wouldn't be pleasant. Let's leave it at that."**

Annabeth and Thalia both looked vaguely irritated, much to Hades surprise and curiosity.

**"But Zeus and Poseidon—they both had, like, a bazillion kids in the myths.**

Zeus and Poseidon exchanged looks.

**Why are their cabins empty?"**

**Grover shifted his hooves uncomfortably.**

**"About sixty years ago, after World War II, the Big Three agreed they wouldn't sire any more heroes.**

Hades scoffed loudly and Thalia started to glare.

**Their children were just too powerful. They were affecting the course of human events too much, causing too much carnage. World War II, you know, that was basically a fight between the sons of Zeus and Poseidon on one side, and the sons of Hades on the other.**

Hades looked away, his children... so many had been lost during that age...

**The winning side, Zeus and Poseidon, made Hades swear an oath with them: no more affairs with mortal women. They all swore on the River Styx."**

"And, ironically enough..." Hades muttered darkly.

**Thunder boomed.**

**I said, "That's the most serious oath you can make."**

**Grover nodded.**

**"And the brothers kept their word—no kids?"**

"Irony incarnate," Hermes sniggered.

**Grover's face darkened. "Seventeen years ago, Zeus fell off the wagon.**

Thalia suddenly found the ceiling very interesting, though she couldn't hide the tension in her jaw.

**There was this TV starlet with a big fluffy eighties hairdo—he just couldn't help himself.**

Zeus grimaced at the description and Hera looked icy.

**When their child was born, a little girl named Thalia... well, the River Styx is serious about promises. Zeus himself got off easy because he's immortal, but he brought a terrible fate on his daughter."**

"That sucks," Hermes sighed and shook his head. "I mean seriously..."

"Blaming the kids for something they can't control?" Annabeth scoffed. "Welcome to the life of a demigod."

**"But that isn't fair. It wasn't the little girl's fault."**

Thalia snorted. "Older than you are, seaweed brain."

**Grover hesitated. "Percy, children of the Big Three have powers greater than other half-bloods.**

Jason grimaced.

**They have a strong aura, a scent that attracts monsters. When Hades found out about the girl, he wasn't too happy about Zeus breaking his oath. Hades let the worst monsters out of Tartarus to torment Thalia.**

"As if I cared about the girl," Hades scoffed. "I was more concerned with-"

"Payback?" Zeus scowled at him.

The two brothers glared at one another darkly, and Poseidon watched the two closely.

**A satyr was assigned to be her keeper when she was twelve, but there was nothing he could do. He tried to escort her here with a couple of other half-bloods she'd befriended.**

Annabeth and Thalia both winced.

**They almost made it. They got all the way to the top of that hill."**

**He pointed across the valley, to the pine tree where I'd fought the minotaur. "All three Kindly Ones were after them, along with a horde of hellhounds. They were about to be overrun when Thalia told her satyr to take the other two half-bloods to safety while she held off the monsters. She was wounded and tired, and she didn't want to live like a hunted animal. The satyr didn't want to leave her, but he couldn't change her mind, and he had to protect the others. So Thalia made her final stand alone, at the top of that hill. As she died, Zeus took pity on her. He turned her into that pine tree. Her spirit still helps protect the borders of the valley. That's why the hill is called Half-Blood Hill."**

"And this all happened the past summer?" Thalia asked quietly.

"Yes, child," Hestia replied quietly.

**I stared at the pine in the distance.**

**The story made me feel hollow, and guilty too. A girl my age had sacrificed herself to save her friends. She had faced a whole army of monsters. Next to that, my victory over the Minotaur didn't seem like much.**

"Stupid Percy," Thalia sighed, "always having to compare himself to everyone else."

"I blame Gabe," Piper muttered.

"In all fairness, what you did _was_ more-"

"Don't you dare say it, Valdez," Thalia snapped. "Don't you do that! I'm not diminishing what I did, but neither am I diminishing what he did. Percy was unaware, untrained, and totally unprepared; he reacted on instinct. I knew what I was facing, I had done it before, and I understood who I was. We both acted better than most could expect. In comparison, perhaps what I did seems more valiant, but Percy's had more of personal sacrifice than a self-sacrifice."

"What's the difference?" Leo looked confused.

"A self-sacrifice is sacrificing yourself for the betterment of others," Athena replied calmly, "a personal sacrifice is giving up something important or doing something that harms you because you must."

"Both my niece and my son are brave children," Poseidon intervened quietly. "That much is clear."

Thalia looked surprised at the praise.

**I wondered, if I'd acted differently, could I have saved my mother?**

Thalia looked irritated and Poseidon just looked somber.

**"Grover," I said, "Have heroes really gone on quests to the Underworld?"**

**"Sometimes," he said. "Orpheus. Hercules. Houdini."**

Leo and Piper exchanged looks at the last name.

**"And have they ever returned somebody from the dead?"**

**"No. Never. Orpheus came close... . Percy, you're not seriously thinking—"**

**"No," I lied.**

Hades shook his head.

**"I was just wondering. So ... a satyr is always assigned to guard a demigod?"**

**Grover studied me warily. I hadn't persuaded him that I'd really dropped the Underworld idea. "Not always. We go undercover to a lot of schools. We try to sniff out the half-bloods who have the makings of great heroes. If we find one with a very strong aura, like a child of the Big Three, we alert Chiron. He tries to keep an eye on them, since they could cause really huge problems."**

**"And you found me. Chiron said you thought I might be something special."**

"Meaning Grover thought that Percy could be a child of one of the Big Three," Leo translated. "Well, he was right."

"No shit," Ares scoffed.

**Grover looked as if I'd just led him into a trap. "I didn't... Oh, listen, don't think like that. If ****you **_**were**_—**you know—you'd never **_**ever **_**be allowed a quest, and I'd never get my license. You're probably a child of Hermes. Or maybe even one of the minor gods, like Nemesis, the god of revenge. Don't worry, okay?"**

"Absolutely lovely how I've become on par with a minor god," Hermes muttered.

"Well, you're a bit like the whore of Camp Half-Blood," Apollo pointed out innocently. "Everyone always comes and goes-"

A fully formed caduceus swung at his head and hit him straight in the face, knocking the Sun God backwards and letting him crash to the floor.

"Oops," Hermes said sarcastically.

"Bloody hell!" Apollo grumbled, pulling himself back onto the couch.

**I got the idea he was reassuring himself more than me. That night after dinner, there was a lot more excitement than usual.**

**At last, it was time for capture the flag.**

Annabeth sat up straight, her eyes gleaming.

**When the plates were cleared away, the conch horn sounded and we all stood at our tables.**

**Campers yelled and cheered as Annabeth and two of her siblings ran into the pavilion carrying a silk banner. It was about ten feet long, glistening grey, with a painting of a barn owl above an olive tree.**

Athena smiled.

**From the opposite side of the pavilion, Clarisse and her buddies ran in with another banner, of identical size, but gaudy red, painted with a bloody spear and a boar's head.**

Ares cackled.

**I turned to Luke and yelled over the noise, "Those are the flags?"**

**"Yeah."**

**"Ares and Athena always lead the teams?"**

**"Not always," he said. "But often."**

**"So, if another cabin captures one, what do you do— repaint the flag?"**

**He grinned. "You'll see. First we have to get one."**

The demigods were grinning and the gods looked more than a little excited too.

**"Whose side are we on?"**

**He gave me a sly look, as if he knew something I didn't. The scar on his face made him look almost evil in the torchlight.**

Annabeth and Thalia flinched, but forced their smiles to stay.

**"We've made a temporary alliance with Athena. Tonight, we get the flag from Ares. And **_**you **_**are going to help."**

**The teams were announced. Athena had made an alliance with Apollo and Hermes, the two biggest cabins.**

Apollo grinned at Hermes and the Messenger God rolled his eyes before clapping him on the back.

**Apparently, privileges had been traded—shower times, chore schedules, the best slots for activities—in order to win support.**

**Ares had allied themselves with everybody else: Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus.**

Hephaestus made an irritated noise, and Aphrodite kissed her boyfriend's cheek coyly. Dionysus and Demeter both rolled their eyes.

**From what I'd seen, Dionysus's kids were actually good athletes,**

"And that is supposed to mean _what_ exactly?" Dionysus asked, sounding irritated.

"Come, Didi, it's all in the name of fun!" Apollo teased with a broad grin.

"Do _not_ call me that!"

**but there were only two of them. Demeter's kids had the edge with nature skills and outdoor stuff but they weren't very aggressive.**

Demeter nodded, obviously approving.

**Aphrodite's sons and daughters I wasn't too worried about. They mostly sat out every activity and checked their reflections in the lake and did their hair and gossiped. **

"I'm sorry but, kid, _you're_ one of Aphrodite's?" Apollo asked, looking at Piper.

Piper flushed. "Yes, I am," she said, even as her face flamed. "Got a problem with that?"

"Indeed, Apollo," Aphrodite asked, her voice sickly sweet. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Apollo just grinned, a hint of nervousness to the look. Jason squeezed Piper's hand, a smile on his mouth.

**Hephaestus's kids weren't pretty, and there were only four of them, but they were big and burly from working in the metal shop all day.**

Leo looked down at himself and made a face. He was obviously sexy as hell and, unfortunately, just as scrawny. Absolutely nothing like his half-siblings.

**They might be a problem. That, of course, left Ares' cabin: a dozen of the biggest, ugliest, meanest kids on Long Island, or anywhere else on the planet. Chiron hammered his hoof on the marble.**

**"Heroes!" he announced. "You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed, and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!"**

**He spread his hands, and the tables were suddenly covered with equipment: helmets, bronze swords, spears, oxhide shields coated in metal.**

**"Whoa," I said. "We're really supposed to use these?"**

"Duh," Jason snorted.

"It's Percy, he was ignorant, just ignore it," Annabeth sighed.

**Luke looked at me as if I were crazy. "Unless you want to get skewered by your friends in cabin five. Here—Chiron thought these would fit. You'll be on border patrol."**

**My shield was the size of an NBA backboard, with a big caduceus in the middle.**

George and Martha hissed approvingly.

**It weighed about a million pounds. I could have snowboarded on it fine, but I hoped nobody seriously expected me to run fast.**

"Wait, hold up, he can snowboard?" Leo asked, a grin stretching across his face, "Dude! Epic!"

**My helmet, like all the helmets on Athena's side, had a blue horsehair plume on top. Ares and their allies had red plumes.**

**Annabeth yelled, "Blue team, forward!"**

**We cheered and shook our swords and followed her down the path to the south woods. The red team yelled taunts at us as they headed off toward the north.**

**I managed to catch up with Annabeth without tripping over my equipment. "Hey."**

**She kept marching.**

"Ouch, icy," Leo snickered.

**"So what's the plan?" I asked. "Got any magic items you can loan me?"**

**Her hand drifted toward her pocket, as if she were afraid I'd stolen something.**

"He's not one of mine!" Hermes said, exasperated. "After four separate times-"

"Three, I think," Apollo mused.

"Shut up, man," Hermes snorted.

**"Just watch Clarisse's spear," she said. "You don't want that thing touching you. Otherwise, don't worry. We'll take the banner from Ares. Has Luke given you your job?"**

**"Border patrol, whatever that means."**

**"It's easy. Stand by the creek, keep the reds away. Leave the rest to me. Athena always has a plan."**

Athena's brow quirked, looking highly amused.

**She pushed ahead, leaving me in the dust.**

**"Okay," I mumbled. "Glad you wanted me on your team."**

Annabeth winced at that.

**It was a warm, sticky night. The woods were dark, with fireflies popping in and out of view**_**. **_**Annabeth stationed me next to a little creek that gurgled over some rocks, then she and the rest of the team scattered into the trees.**

**Standing there alone, with my big blue-feathered helmet and my huge shield, I felt like an idiot.**

"Bet he looked it too," Apollo snickered, smiling innocently at Poseidon.

**The bronze sword, like all the swords I'd tried so far, seemed balanced wrong. The leather grip pulled on my hand like a bowling ball.**

**There was no way anybody would actually attack me, would they? I mean, Olympus had to have liability issues, right?**

Pretty much everyone scoffed at that; except for Leo and Hephaestus who had, naturally, gone back to their machines.

**Far away, the conch horn blew. I heard whoops and yells in the woods, the clanking of metal, kids fighting. A blue-plumed ally from Apollo raced past me like a deer, leaped through the creek, and disappeared into enemy territory.**

**Great, I thought. I'll miss all the fun, as usual.**

"Wuss," Ares snorted.

**Then I heard a sound that sent a chill up my spine, a low canine growl, somewhere close by.**

**I raised my shield instinctively; I had the feeling something was stalking me.**

"I... don't think that's a camper," Piper frowned. "But what..."

**Then the growling stopped. I felt the presence retreating.**

**On the other side of the creek, the underbrush exploded. Five Ares warriors came yelling and screaming out of the dark.**

**"Cream the punk!" Clarisse screamed.**

"I thought Nemesis was the goddess of vengeance, nephew, not you," Poseidon remarked, raising a brow.

"I don't fight my kids' battles," Ares snorted, looking vaguely nervous as he crossed his arms. "I can't help my own nature."

"He is right, Poseidon," Athena rebuked.

**Her ugly pig eyes glared through the slits of her helmet. She brandished a five-foot-long spear, its barbed metal tip flickering with red light. Her siblings had only the standard-issue bronze swords—not that that made me feel any better.**

**They charged across the stream. There was no help in sight. I could run. Or I could defend myself against half the Ares cabin.**

"Brave but stupid." Thalia rolled her eyes. "He ought to have run."

"Hush, Thals," Annabeth told her, "this is important."

**I managed to sidestep the first kid's swing, but these guys were not as stupid as the Minotaur.**

"Backhanded, much?" Ares scowled darkly.

**They surrounded me, and Clarisse thrust at me with her spear. My shield deflected the point, but I felt a painful tingling all over my body. My hair stood on end. My shield arm went numb, and the air burned.**

**Electricity. Her stupid spear was electric.**

Ares cackled at this and Poseidon grit his teeth.

**I fell back.**

**Another Ares guy slammed me in the chest with the butt of his sword and I hit the dirt. They could've kicked me into jelly, but they were too busy laughing.**

Poseidon's face went stony, no one could tell his thoughts at this point; but they could guess that it wasn't anything good.

The Sea God was more than slightly irritated. When he had gone to bless Percy, it was -in part- because of his devotion to Sally and because of his worry for the boy. Breaking an oath on the River Styx was not something to be taken lightly, and Poseidon had guessed that the backlash would hit his son more than he. But when he had first met the boy, first held him in his arms as Sally slept, exhausted, in the other room; he had felt a spark light in his chest. The boy was both kin and kindred, a similar soul with a familial bond. Percy was going to be someone special, Poseidon knew, but this made his reactions stronger when the boy was in danger. He took every offence aimed at his son as if it were meant for him. He was the God of the Sea! He was used to letting things drift passed him, but this was different. _Percy_ was different.

**"Give him a haircut," Clarisse said. "Grab his hair."**

**I managed to get to my feet. I raised my sword, but Clarisse slammed it aside with her spear as sparks flew. Now both my arms felt numb.**

**"Oh, wow," Clarisse said. "I'm scared of this guy. Really scared."**

**"The flag is that way," I told her. **

**I wanted to sound angry, but I was afraid it didn't come out that way.**

Ares howled with laughter, obviously enjoying this. Poseidon didn't react, only the tension in his voice as he read gave him away.

**"Yeah," one of her siblings said. "But see, we don't care about the flag. We care about a guy who made our cabin look stupid."**

**"You do that without my help,"**

"Percy, sometimes you are _such_ a seaweed brain," Annabeth groaned, rolling her eyes.

**I told them. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to say.**

**Two of them came at me. I backed up toward the creek, tried to raise my shield, but Clarisse was too fast. Her spear stuck me straight in the ribs. If I hadn't been wearing an armoured breastplate, I would've been shish-kebabbed.**

All sources of liquid in the room, rumbled dangerously before calming.

**As it was, the electric point just about shocked my teeth out of my mouth. One of her cabinmates slashed his sword across my arm, leaving a good-size cut.**

Again, the water shook dangerously, though Poseidon showed no outward signs of reacting as he continued to read.

**Seeing my own blood made me dizzy—warm and cold at the same time.**

**"No maiming," I managed to say.**

**"Oops," the guy said. "Guess I lost my dessert privilege."**

Ares didn't laugh at this, though he did smirk broadly.

**He pushed me into the creek and I landed with a splash.**

As if it had been planned, Ares' smirk drained as Poseidon's grew. He continued to read with a smug tone now in his voice, well aware of what was to happen.

**They all laughed. I figured as soon as they were through being amused, I would die. But then something happened. The water seemed to wake up my senses, as if I'd just had a bag of my mom's double-espresso jelly beans.**

Apollo and Hermes surreptitiously high-fived.

**Clarisse and her cabinmates came into the creek to get me, but I stood to meet them. I knew what to do. I swung the flat of my sword against the first guy's head and knocked his helmet clean off. I hit him so hard I could see his eyes vibrating as he crumpled into the water.**

Ares sat bolt upright, his hands clutching into the fabric of his seat. Aphrodite gave him an irritated look when he almost displaced her onto the floor.

**Ugly Number Two and Ugly Number Three came at me. I slammed one in the face with my shield and used my sword to shear off the other guy's horsehair plume. Both of them backed up quick. Ugly Number Four didn't look really anxious to attack, but Clarisse kept coming, the point of her spear crackling with energy. As soon as she thrust, I caught the shaft between the edge of my shield and my sword, and I snapped it like a twig.**

Ares let out a roar of anger and irritation as he leapt to his feet, but water had appeared underneath his seat and he soon slipped back into his chair.

"Sit down and shut up," Poseidon scolded, his smirk still in place, "I am trying to read."

**"Ah!" she screamed. "You idiot! You corpse-breath worm!"**

**She probably would've said worse, but I smacked her between the eyes with my sword-butt and sent her stumbling backward out of the creek.**

**Then I heard yelling, elated screams, and I saw Luke racing toward the boundary line with the red team's banner lifted high. He was flanked by a couple of Hermes guys covering his retreat, and a few Apollos behind them, fighting off the Hephaestus kids. **

Hermes whooped.

**The Ares folks got up, and Clarisse muttered a dazed curse.**

**"A trick!" she shouted. "It was a trick."**

**They staggered after Luke, but it was too late. Everybody converged on the creek as Luke ran across into friendly territory. Our side exploded into cheers. The red banner shimmered and turned to silver. The boar and spear were replaced with a huge caduceus, the symbol of cabin eleven.**

Hermes grinned, looking mightily pleased with his son's work.

**Everybody on the blue team picked up Luke and started carrying him around on their shoulders. Chiron cantered out from the woods and blew the conch horn.**

**The game was over. We'd won.**

**I was about to join the celebration when Annabeth's voice, right next to me in the creek, said, "Not bad, hero."**

"Dude, were you there the whole time?" Leo asked her.

Annabeth shrugged and smiled mysteriously.

**I looked, but she wasn't there.**

**"Where the heck did you learn to fight like that?" she asked. The air shimmered, and she materialized, holding a Yankees baseball cap as if she'd just taken it off her head.**

**I felt myself getting angry. I wasn't even fazed by the fact that she'd just been invisible. "You set me up," I said. "You put me here because you knew Clarisse would come after me, while you sent Luke around the flank. You had it all figured out."**

**Annabeth shrugged. "I told you. Athena always, always has a plan."**

"Does that mean it has to been manipulative?" Jason asked dryly.

"How about we don't get into another fight, yeah?" Leo said hastily at Annabeth's dark expression. "Let's just... let Poseidon read, alright?"

Neither spoke but they both turned away and refused to look at one another.

**"A plan to get me pulverized."**

**"I came as fast as I could. I was about to jump in, but ..." She shrugged. "You didn't need help."**

**Then she noticed my wounded arm. "How did you do that?"**

**"Sword cut," I said. "What do you think?"**

**"No. It **_**was **_**a sword cut. Look at it."**

"Healing powers..." Apollo murmured, looking thoughtful. "I wonder if he could be trained to heal others..."

**The blood was gone. Where the huge cut had been, there was a long white scratch, and even that was fading. As I watched, it turned into a small scar, and disappeared.**

**"I—I don't get it," I said.**

**Annabeth was thinking hard.**

"When isn't she?" Thalia asked lightly, shoving the girl gently. Annabeth barely smiled.

**I could almost see the gears turning. She looked down at my feet, then at Clarisse's broken spear, and said, "Step out of the water, Percy."**

Poseidon winced, he did not envy his son this.

**"What—"**

**"Just do it."**

**I came out of the creek and immediately felt bone tired. My arms started to go numb again. My adrenaline rush left me.**

"Sucks," Jason muttered, wincing in sympathy.

**I almost fell over, but Annabeth steadied me.**

Aphrodite cooed.

**"Oh, Styx," she cursed. "This is **_**not **_**good. I didn't want... I assumed it would be Zeus..."**

The God of the Sky spluttered but Poseidon just continued reading over him.

**Before I could ask what she meant, I heard that canine growl again, but much closer than before. A howl ripped through the forest.**

**The campers' cheering died instantly. Chiron shouted something in Ancient Greek, which I would realize, only later, I had understood perfectly**:

"Instinct," Athena nodded.

"_**Stand ready**_**!** _**My bow**_**!"**

**Annabeth drew her sword.**

**There on the rocks just above us was a black hound the size of a rhino, with lava-red eyes and fangs like daggers.**

Poseidon scowled darkly as he read and Hades shifted with a frown, unsure of what a hellhound would be doing in the camp.

**It was looking straight at me.**

**Nobody moved except Annabeth, who yelled, "Percy, run!"**

**She tried to step in front of me,**

Aphrodite looked elated. "How brave~!"

**but the hound was too fast. It leaped over her—an enormous shadow with teeth—and just as it hit me, as I stumbled backward and felt its razor-sharp claws ripping through my armour, there was a cascade of thwacking sounds, like forty pieces of paper being ripped one after the other. From the hounds neck sprouted a cluster of arrows. The monster fell dead at my feet.**

"Hot damn," Apollo whistled, the room was incredibly quiet.

**By some miracle, I was still alive. I didn't want to look underneath the ruins of my shredded armour. My chest felt warm and wet, and I knew I was badly cut. Another second, and the monster would've turned me into a hundred pounds of delicatessen meat.**

Poseidon hissed these words out as if he, too, could feel such sting.

**Chiron trotted up next to us, a bow in his hand, his face grim.**

_**"Di immortales!"**_ **Annabeth said. "That's a hellhound from the Fields of Punishment. They don't... they're not supposed to..."**

**"Someone summoned it," Chiron said. "Someone inside the camp."**

The gods quieted at this, looking to the demigods. Thalia and Annabeth looked grim whilst the other three looked just as confused.

**Luke came over, the banner in his hand forgotten, his moment of glory gone.**

**Clarisse yelled, "It's all Percy's fault! Percy summoned it!"**

The room snorted and Ares looked irritated at Clarisse's words.

**"Be quiet, child," Chiron told her.**

**We watched the body of the hellhound melt into shadow, soaking into the ground until it disappeared.**

**"You're wounded," Annabeth told me. "Quick, Percy, get in the water."**

"Good, my child," Athena praised, looking vaguely pleased. Annabeth's face went pink at the compliment.

**"I'm okay."**

**"No, you're not," she said. "Chiron, watch this."**

**I was too tired to argue. I stepped back into the creek, the whole camp gathering around me. Instantly, I felt better. I could feel the cuts on my chest closing up. Some of the campers gasped.**

**"Look, I—I don't know why," I said, trying to apologize. "I'm sorry..."**

"Idiot," Thalia rolled her eyes.

**But they weren't watching my wounds heal. They were staring at something above my head.**

**"Percy," Annabeth said, pointing. "Um ..."**

**By the time I looked up, the sign was already fading, but I could still make out the hologram of green light, spinning and gleaming. A three-tipped spear: a trident.**

Poseidon's back straightened at this, and he looked pleased.

**"Your father," Annabeth murmured. "This is **_**really **_**not good."**

**"It is determined," Chiron announced.**

**All around me, campers started kneeling, even the Ares cabin, though they didn't look happy about it.**

"Gee, wonder why?" Apollo snorted.

**"My father?" I asked, completely bewildered.**

**"Poseidon," said Chiron. "Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God."**

Poseidon looked up, his smile-smirk firmly on his face. "Next taker?" He asked innocently.

"I want it," Aphrodite called, taking the book from him cheerily. "Now," she said, "Chapter nine: I am Offered a Quest."

* * *

And here we are, the last for the day. Expect another three coming in on the sixteenth.

I know that I said before that I was only going to do one chapter per week, but that was probably a lie. Not sure what my schedule is going to be yet, but it's not going to be that. I'm far too impatient for such nonsense, ;)

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	10. Chapter 10

**I Am Offered a Quest**

"And the plot finally begins to pick up," Hades snorted, rolling his eyes.

**The next morning, Chiron moved me to cabin three.**

"Good," Poseidon approved.

**I didn't have to share with anybody. I had plenty of room for all my stuff: the Minotaur's horn, one set of spare clothes, and a toiletry bag.**

"I'm sensing sarcasm in that last statement," Hermes sniggered.

**I got to sit at my own dinner table, pick all my own activities, call "lights out" whenever I felt like it, and not listen to anybody else.**

"Not a bad deal," Apollo said, nodding his head.

"I don't think so," Jason murmured.

**And I was absolutely miserable.**

"See?" The blonde sighed and shook his head. "Yeah, he has his own space and whatever, but that also means he's cut off from everyone else."

Zeus looked at his son, a twinge of regret in his heart. He was the King of the Gods; it was his duty to set an example for the others. Sitting up straight, Zeus adjusted his tie. He truly did care for his children, despite his aloof persona; which only made it more difficult as he couldn't openly show his affection.

**Just when I'd started to feel accepted, to feel I had a home in cabin eleven and I might be a normal kid—or as normal as you can be when you're a half-blood—I'd been separated out as if I had some rare disease.**

Poseidon looked grim, yet unrepentant.

**Nobody mentioned the hellhound, but I got the feeling they were all talking about it behind my back.**

"They were," Annabeth sighed. "All of my siblings kept grilling me for information about him."

**The attack had scared everybody. It sent two messages: one, that I was the son of the Sea God; and two, monsters would stop at nothing to kill me.**

Poseidon looked grim. "The only upside I can give you, Percy, is that your power can withstand."

"And it will," Annabeth added firmly.

**They could even invade a camp that had always been considered safe.**

**The other campers steered clear of me as much as possible. **

"Harsh," Apollo said sympathetically.

"Ah, he'll get over it," Ares snorted.

**Cabin eleven was too nervous to have sword class with me after what I'd done to the Ares folks in the woods,**

Ares darkened at the reminder.

**so my lessons with Luke became one-on-one. He pushed me harder than ever, and wasn't afraid to bruise me up in the process.**

"He understands the necessity of becoming prepared," Athena remarked.

Annabeth and Thalia exchanged glances.

**"You're going to need all the training you can get," he promised, as we were working with swords and flaming torches. "Now let's try that viper-beheading strike again. Fifty more repetitions."**

"I am now incredibly glad that I've been too busy to take sword lessons," Leo remarked.

"I doubt we'd turn you into a swordsman anyways, Leo," Jason replied. "You're better with a hammer or something."

**Annabeth still taught me Greek in the mornings, but she seemed distracted. Every time I said something, she scowled at me, as if I'd just poked her between the eyes.**

"Due to the rivalry between Poseidon and Athena, yes," Aphrodite smiled mischievously, "but that just makes it _better_, doesn't it?"

Poseidon and Athena both looked disgusted, Annabeth just looked away.

**After lessons, she would walk away muttering to herself: "Quest ... Poseidon? ... Dirty rotten ... Got to make a plan …"**

"Going crazy, Anna?" Leo sniggered.

"Don't call me Anna," she scolded, rolling her eyes.

**Even Clarisse kept her distance, though her venomous looks made it clear she wanted to kill me for breaking her magic spear. I wished she would just yell or punch me or something. I'd rather get into fights every day than be ignored.**

Ares snorted.

**I knew somebody at camp resented me, because one night I came into my cabin and found a mortal newspaper dropped inside the doorway, a copy of the _New York Daily News, _opened to the Metro page. The article took me almost an hour to read, because the angrier I got, the more the words floated around on the page.**

**_BOY AND MOTHER STILL MISSING AFTER_ _FREAK CAR ACCIDENT_**

Certain members of the group hissed in sympathy.

"Whoever did that is incredibly rude," Hera sniffed.

_**BY EILEEN SMYTHE**_

_**Sally Jackson and son, Percy, are still missing one week after their mysterious disappearance. The family's badly burned '78 Camaro was discovered last Saturday on a north Long Island road with the roof ripped off and the front axle broken. The car had flipped and skidded for several hundred feet before exploding.**_

Poseidon gave Zeus an irritated look.

_**Mother and son had gone for a weekend vacation to Montauk, but left hastily, under mysterious circumstances.**_

Aphrodite scoffed as she read this.

_**Small traces of blood were found in the car and near the scene of the wreck, but there were no other signs of the missing Jacksons.**_

"Blood?" Poseidon frowned darkly. "Who was bleeding?"

_**Residents in the rural area reported seeing nothing unusual around the time of the accident.**_

_**Ms. Jackson's husband, Gabe Ugliano, claims that his stepson, Percy Jackson, is a troubled child who has been kicked out of numerous boarding schools and has expressed violent tendencies in the past.**_

The demigods winced.

_**Police would not say whether son Percy is a suspect in his mother's disappearance, but they have not ruled out foul play. Below are recent pictures of Sally Jackson and Percy. Police urge anyone with information to call the following toll-free crime-stoppers hotline.**_

**The phone number was circled in black marker.**

**I wadded up the paper and threw it away, then flopped down in my bunk bed in the middle of my empty cabin.**

"Whoever did that better be glad that I don't know who they are," Poseidon said slowly.

The gods looked grim, having no doubt that whoever had done that would've found themselves drowning the next time they went into water.

**"Lights out," I told myself miserably.**

**That night, I had my worst dream yet.**

The demigods winced.

**I was running along the beach in a storm. This time, there was a city behind me. Not New York. The sprawl was different: buildings spread farther apart, palm trees and low hills in the distance.**

Hades quirked a brow.

**About a hundred yards down the surf, two men were fighting. They looked like TV wrestlers, muscular, with beards and long hair. Both wore flowing Greek tunics, one trimmed in blue, the other in green.**

Zeus and Poseidon glanced at each other and frowned.

**They grappled with each other, wrestled, kicked and head-butted, and every time they connected, lightning flashed, the sky grew darker, and the wind rose.**

**I had to stop them. I didn't know why. But the harder I ran, the more the wind blew me back, until I was running in place, my heels digging uselessly in the sand.**

Annabeth winced, such helplessness scared her on some level. Especially as she was faced with it right now, unable to work on the one thing that would lead her to Percy...

**Over the roar of the storm, I could hear the blue-robed one yelling at the green-robed one, _Give it back! Give it back! _Like a kindergartner fighting over a toy.**

Hera snorted and crossed her arms, both Zeus and Poseidon looked unimpressed at the analogy; though the rest of the gods seemed to find it rather apt.

**The waves got bigger, crashing into the beach, spraying me with salt.**

**I yelled, _Stop it! Stop fighting!_**

**The ground shook. Laughter came from somewhere under the earth, and a voice so deep and evil it turned my blood to ice_._**

The gods frowned and glances were thrown at Hades; but the god of death looked just as confused. Yes, he was normally associated with such things, but it didn't sound like him. He preferred his dramatics to be performed in person, not from the earth.

**_Come down, little hero, _the voice crooned. _Come down!_**

**The sand split beneath me, opening up a crevice straight down to the centre of the earth. My feet slipped, and darkness swallowed me.**

The gods stilled at this. Despite the animosity between them and Hades, the fact was that this did _not_ sound like something he would do. And that worried everyone.

**I woke up, sure I was falling.**

**I was still in bed in cabin three. My body told me it was morning, but it was dark outside, and thunder rolled across the hills. A storm was brewing. I hadn't dreamed that.**

"I'm not sure which storm he is speaking of," Athena remarked quietly. "The one in nature... or the one with that... voice."

**I heard a clopping sound at the door, a hoof knocking on the threshold.**

**"Come in?"**

**Grover trotted inside, looking worried. "Mr. D wants to see you."**

Dionysus made a face.

**"Why?"**

**"He wants to kill... I mean, I'd better let him tell you."**

"Because that's not ominous," Piper muttered, shifting so that her shoulder was pressed against Jason's. Aphrodite watched this with a suspicious smile.

**Nervously, I got dressed and followed, sure that I was in huge trouble.**

**For days, I'd been half expecting a summons to the Big House. Now that I was declared a son of Poseidon, one of the Big Three gods who weren't supposed to have kids, I figured it was a crime for me just to be alive.**

Poseidon glared at his brothers murderously. The other two had no doubt that the Sea God would be willing to tear them apart if they ever dared.

**The other gods had probably been debating the best way to punish me for existing, and now Mr. D was ready to deliver their verdict.**

"We hardly spend so long debating over a single child," Dionysus scoffed. "Irrelevant of who their father might be."

**Over Long Island Sound, the sky looked like ink soup coming to a boil. A hazy curtain of rain was coming in our direction. I asked Grover if we needed an umbrella.**

**"No," he said. "It never rains here unless we want it to."**

"Or if their anger is strong enough," Apollo muttered, nodding towards Zeus and Poseidon.

**I pointed at the storm. "What the heck is that, then?"**

**He glanced uneasily at the sky. "It'll pass around us. Bad weather always does."**

**I realized he was right. In the week I'd been here,**

"Only a week?" Hera clucked. "Poor boy."

**it had never even been overcast. The few rain clouds I'd seen had skirted right around the edges of the valley.**

**But this storm ... this one was huge.**

Zeus and Poseidon both had hard looks on their faces.

**At the volleyball pit, the kids from Apollo's cabin were playing a morning game against the satyrs. Dionysus's twins were walking around in the strawberry fields, making the plants grow.**

Dionysus smiled (very, _very_ faintly) at the mention of his boys.

**Everybody was going about their normal business, but they looked tense. They kept their eyes on the storm.**

"Demigods have a good sense of what is right with nature and what is not," Piper remarked softly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "That storm is obviously not right."

**Grover and I walked up to the front porch of the Big House. Dionysus sat at the pinochle table in his tiger-striped Hawaiian shirt with his Diet Coke, just as he had on my first day. Chiron sat across the table in his fake wheel chair. They were playing against invisible opponents-two sets of cards hovering in the air.**

"Bet you Dionysus is cheating," Hermes sniggered. "And he'll still lose."

Dionysus scowled at him. "I _will_ beat that centaur."

"You've been saying that for centuries," Apollo retorted with a cackle.

**"Well, well," Mr. D said without looking up. "Our little celebrity."**

"Anyone else reminded of Severus Snape?" Leo grinned.

**I waited.**

**"Come closer," Mr. D said. "And don't expect me to bow to you, mortal, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father."**

Poseidon cocked a brow at his nephew and Dionysus hastily looked away.

**A net of lightning flashed across the clouds. Thunder shook the windows of the house.**

**"Blah, blah, blah," Dionysus said.**

Zeus gave his son an irritated look.

**Chiron feigned interest in his pinochle cards. Grover cowered by the railing, his hooves clopping back and forth.**

**"If I had my way," Dionysus said, "I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. We'd sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. But Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp: to keep you little brats safe from harm."**

The gods looked irritated at this, none more-so than Poseidon himself. The Sea God had a dark look in his eyes, all of it pinned on his nephew.

**"Spontaneous combustion _is _a form of harm, Mr. D," Chiron put in.**

**"Nonsense," Dionysus said. "Boy wouldn't feel a thing.**

"_So_ not willing to find out," Leo muttered, his latest trinket coming up close to his face as he inspected it.

**Nevertheless, I've agreed to restrain myself. I'm thinking of turning you into a dolphin instead, sending you back to your father."**

Storm clouds began to gather outside as Poseidon's glare hardened.

"Brother," Zeus warned.

"I will not touch your son, if he does not harm mine," Poseidon replied, his voice dark.

**"Mr. D—" Chiron warned.**

**"Oh, all right," Dionysus relented. "There's one more option. But it's deadly foolishness." Dionysus rose, and the invisible players' cards dropped to the table. "I'm off to Olympus for the emergency meeting.**

The gods looked grim.

**If the boy is still here when I get back, I'll turn him into an Atlantic bottlenose. Do you understand? And Perseus Jackson, if you're at all smart, you'll see that's a much more sensible choice than what Chiron feels you must do."**

The storm clouds swirled dangerously overhead.

**Dionysus picked up a playing card, twisted it, and it became a plastic rectangle. A credit card? No. A security pass.**

**He snapped his fingers.**

**The air seemed to fold and bend around him. He became a hologram, then a wind, then he was gone, leaving only the smell of fresh-pressed grapes lingering behind.**

"Not a bad description," Apollo praised, eyeing the storm clouds as they slowly dissipated.

**Chiron smiled at me, but he looked tired and strained. "Sit, Percy, please. And Grover."**

**We did.**

**Chiron laid his cards on the table, a winning hand he hadn't gotten to use.**

Dionysus grumbled irritably.

**"Tell me, Percy," he said. "What did you make of the hellhound?"**

**Just hearing the name made me shudder. Chiron probably wanted me to say, _Heck, it was nothing. I eat hellhounds for breakfast. _But I didn't feel like lying.**

Hermes shook his head, but Poseidon looked like he approved.

**"It scared me," I said. "If you hadn't shot it, I'd be dead."**

"I'm impressed," Athena admitted. "I would not have expected him to be so honest. Now, here is a hero who knows when to admit that he needs help."

"Hopefully he doesn't get trained to do otherwise," Artemis remarked. "We've seen it often enough. They start out humble, but after years of people relying on them, they feel responsible and thus, incapable of stating when they're in over their head."

"Good thing he can breathe underwater," Leo muttered.

"It's not, necessarily, a bad thing to hold a sense of responsibility," Jason argued.

Artemis shot him a irritated look. "It is when it gets others killed or worse when you refuse to ask for help."

**"You'll meet worse, Percy. Far worse, before you're done."**

**"Done ... with what?"**

**"Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?"**

"Like he isn't about to go do something incredibly dangerous," Thalia snorted, cocking a bow critically.

**I glanced at Grover, who was crossing his fingers.**

**"Um, sir," I said, "you haven't told me what it is yet."**

Athena nodded approvingly.

**Chiron grimaced. "Well, that's the hard part, the details."**

**Thunder rumbled across the valley. The storm clouds had now reached the edge of the beach. As far as I could see, the sky and the sea were boiling together.**

Said brothers grimaced.

**"Poseidon and Zeus," I said. "They're fighting over something valuable ... something that was stolen, aren't they?"**

"Not half as dumb as he looks," Dionysus muttered.

**Chiron and Grover exchanged looks.**

**Chiron sat forward in his wheelchair. "How did you know that?"**

**My face felt hot. I wished I hadn't opened my big mouth. "The weather since Christmas has been weird, like the sea and the sky are fighting. Then I talked to Annabeth, and she'd overheard something about a theft. And ... I've also been having these dreams."**

**"I knew it," Grover said.**

"Do you reckon the empathy link was already in place at this point?" Thalia asked Annabeth quietly.

"Maybe," Annabeth replied. "I'm not sure, but there is a good possibility."

**"Hush, satyr," Chiron ordered.**

**"But it is his quest!" Grover's eyes were bright with excitement. "It must be!"**

Poseidon looked vaguely irritated. He had every confidence that his son would be able to handle it; but that didn't mean that he wanted Percy to be the one in charge of it.

**"Only the Oracle can determine." Chiron stroked his bristly beard. "Nevertheless, Percy, you are correct. Your father and Zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries. They are fighting over something valuable that was stolen. To be precise: a lightning bolt."**

Zeus growled darkly. It was true, that he had figured this out beforehand. But that did not mean that it was not incredibly _irksome_.

**I laughed nervously. "A _what_?"**

**"Do not take this lightly," Chiron warned. "I'm not talking about some tinfoil-covered zigzag you'd see in a second-grade play. I'm talking about a two-foot-long cylinder of high-grade celestial bronze, capped on both ends with god-level explosives."**

**"Oh."**

"Indeed," Athena remarked wryly, "_oh_."

**"Zeus's master bolt," Chiron said, getting worked up now. "The symbol of his power, from which all other lightning bolts are patterned. The first weapon made by the Cyclopes for the war against the Titans, the bolt that sheered the top off Mount Etna and hurled Kronos from his throne; the master bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers."**

The demigods were wide-eyed at this, but the gods looked grim. Zeus had the Master Bolt in his hands, turning it over carefully as he listened closely to Aphrodite's reading.

**"And it's missing?"**

**"Stolen," Chiron said.**

**"By who?"**

"By whom," Athena corrected absentmindedly.

**"By _whom_," Chiron corrected.**

Apollo and Hermes snickered as Athena rolled her eyes.

**Once a teacher, always a teacher.**

**"By you."**

Poseidon and Zeus stilled dangerously and Hades glanced between the two warily.

"Stealing is not Poseidon's style, Father," Athena said slowly. "You know this."

"Do I?" Zeus rumbled threateningly.

"You're a pain in the ass, brother," Poseidon retorted, his voice was as sharp as a whip. "But I know better than to start a war between us two."

Zeus began to rise in his chair, before Hera stopped him with a hand on his forearm. "Husband," she said sternly. "Let us listen before we judge."

Zeus didn't look at her, but he did pause. After a few tense moments, he nodded and sat back down in his seat.

**My mouth fell open.**

**"At least"—Chiron held up a hand—"that's what Zeus thinks. During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense: 'Mother Rhea always liked you best,' 'Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters,' et cetera. Afterward, Zeus realized his master bolt was missing, taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon. Now, a god cannot usurp another god's symbol of power directly—that is forbidden by the most ancient of divine laws. But Zeus believes your father convinced a human hero to take it."**

Zeus and Poseidon did not relax, even though they listened very carefully.

**"But I didn't—"**

**"Patience and listen, child," Chiron said. "Zeus has good reason to be suspicious.**

Poseidon scoffed derisively.

**The forges of the Cyclopes are under the ocean, which gives Poseidon some influence over the makers of his brother's lightning.**

"That and the Cyclopes belong to Poseidon as his children," Annabeth muttered. "But no one ever remembers that bit."

**Zeus believes Poseidon has taken the master bolt, and is now secretly having the Cyclopes build an arsenal of illegal copies, which might be used to topple Zeus from his throne. The only thing Zeus wasn't sure about was which hero Poseidon used to steal the bolt. Now Poseidon has openly claimed you as his son.**

Everyone looked grim at this, Percy was in a hard place.

**You were in New York over the winter holidays. You could easily have snuck into Olympus. Zeus believes he has found his thief."**

**"But I've never even been to Olympus! Zeus is crazy!"**

Despite the serious mood, amusement shot through the room; forcing a number of people to stifle their laughter as Zeus was glaring at anyone who looked like they might dare laugh.

**Chiron and Grover glanced nervously at the sky. The clouds didn't seem to be parting around us, as Grover had promised. They were rolling straight over our valley, sealing us in like a coffin lid.**

**"Er, Percy ...?" Grover said. "We don't use the _c_-word to describe the Lord of the Sky."**

"I do," Hades snorted.

Zeus scowled at him.

**"Perhaps _paranoid," _Chiron suggested. "Then again, Poseidon has tried to unseat Zeus before. I believe that was question thirty-eight on your final exam..." He looked at me as if he actually expected me to remember question thirty-eight.**

The group shook their heads.

**How could anyone accuse me of stealing a god's weapon? I couldn't even steal a slice of pizza from Gabe's poker party without getting busted. **

"You, kid, just need lessons from cousin Hermes," said god grinned. "I'll fix you up."

"Right after he 'fixes' your pockets too," Apollo sniggered.

**Chiron was waiting for an answer.**

**"Something about a golden net?" I guessed. "Poseidon and Hera and a few other gods ... they, like, trapped Zeus and wouldn't let him out until he promised to be a better ruler, right?"**

Zeus looked sour and the gods mentioned just rolled their eyes.

**"Correct," Chiron said. "And Zeus has never trusted Poseidon since. Of course, Poseidon denies stealing the master bolt. He took great offence at the accusation. The two have been arguing back and forth for months, threatening war. And now, you've come along—the proverbial last straw."**

**"But I'm just a kid!"**

"Perspective," Demeter huffed.

**"Percy," Grover cut in, "if you were Zeus, and you already thought your brother was plotting to overthrow you, then your brother suddenly admitted he had broken the sacred oath he took after World War II, that he's fathered a new mortal hero who might be used as a weapon against you... Wouldn't that put a twist in your toga?"**

Apollo and Hermes chortled at the phrase.

**"But I didn't do anything. Poseidon—my dad—he didn't really have this master bolt stolen, did he?"**

"Of course not," Poseidon replied simply. "Anyone with half a brain could figure that out."

"Shut your mouth, brother," Zeus growled.

**Chiron sighed. "Most thinking observers would agree that thievery is not Poseidon's style.**

Athena nodded and Poseidon just cocked a brow at his brother.

**But the Sea God is too proud to try convincing Zeus of that. Zeus has demanded that Poseidon return the bolt by the summer solstice. That's June twenty-first, ten days from now. Poseidon wants an apology for being called a thief by the same date. I hoped that diplomacy might prevail, that Hera or Demeter or Hestia would make the two brothers see sense.**

Said three goddesses just rolled their eyes and shook their heads.

**But your arrival has inflamed Zeus's temper. Now neither god will back down. Unless someone intervenes, unless the master bolt is found and returned to Zeus before the solstice, there will be war. And do you know what a full-fledged war would look like, Percy?"**

The demigods went blank, none of them reacted. It would be a difficult decision to make, between fighting with their friends or fighting for their parents.

**"Bad?" I guessed.**

**"Imagine the world in chaos. Nature at war with itself. Olympians forced to choose sides between Zeus and Poseidon. Destruction. Carnage. Millions dead. Western civilization turned into a battleground so big it will make the Trojan War look like a water-balloon fight."**

The gods grimaced.

**"Bad," I repeated.**

"Indeed," Athena said mildly.

**"And you, Percy Jackson, would be the first to feel Zeus's wrath."**

**It started to rain.**

"Nice timing, Poseidon," Apollo muttered.

**Volleyball players stopped their game and stared in stunned silence at the sky. _I _had brought this storm to Half-Blood Hill. Zeus was punishing the whole camp because of me. I was furious.**

"I would be too," Piper murmured. "It's not fair..."

"Fairness is rare in this world, dove," Aphrodite told her. "Just push on."

**"So I have to find the stupid bolt," I said. "And return it to Zeus."**

**"What better peace offering," Chiron said, "than to have the son of Poseidon return Zeus' property?"**

"The son of Poseidon with the name of a son of Zeus, returning the Master Bolt to Zeus, on behalf of Poseidon," Apollo ticked off. "Sounds like a weird pattern of one-two-two-one, doesn't it?"

**"If Poseidon doesn't have it, where is the thing?"**

**"I believe I know." Chiron's expression was grim. "Part of a prophecy I had years ago ... well, some of the lines make sense to me, now. But before I can say more, you must officially take up the quest. You must seek the counsel of the Oracle."**

"I forgot that the kid hadn't even accepted the quest yet," Ares snorted.

**"Why can't you tell me where the bolt is beforehand?"**

**"Because if I did, you would be too afraid to accept the challenge."**

**I swallowed. "Good reason."**

"Indeed," Athena murmured.

**"You agree then?"**

**I looked at Grover, who nodded encouragingly. Easy for him. I was the one Zeus wanted to kill.**

Poseidon's grip tightened on his trident.

**"All right," I said. "It's better than being turned into a dolphin."**

**"Then it's time you consulted the Oracle," Chiron said. "Go upstairs, Percy Jackson, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you're still sane, we will talk more."**

Hermes' face went blank.

**Four flights up, the stairs ended under a green trap door. I pulled the cord. The door swung down, and a wooden ladder clattered into place. The warm air from above smelled like mildew and rotten wood and something else ... a smell I remembered from biology class. Reptiles. The smell of snakes.**

Thalia and Annabeth shivered, remembering the creepy room inhabited by the old Oracle.

**I held my breath and climbed.**

**The attic was filled with Greek hero junk:**

The room scoffed.

**armour stands covered in cobwebs; once-bright shields pitted with rust; old leather steamer trunks plastered with stickers saying ITHAKA, CIRCE'S ISLE,**

Annabeth twitched at the last title.

**and LAND OF THE AMAZONS. One long table was stacked with glass jars filled with pickled _things_—severed hairy claws, huge yellow eyes, various other parts of monsters. A dusty mounted trophy on the wall looked like a giant snake's head, but with horns and a full set of shark's teeth. The plaque read, HYDRA HEAD #1, WOODSTOCK, N.Y., 1969.**

**By the window, sitting on a wooden tripod stool, was the most gruesome memento of all: a mummy.**

**Not the wrapped-in-cloth kind, but a human female body shrivelled to a husk. She wore a tie-dyed sundress, lots of beaded necklaces, and a headband over long black hair.**

Hades looked grim and Apollo bemoaned the fate of his Oracle.

**The skin of her face was thin and leathery over her skull, and her eyes were glassy white slits, as if the real eyes had been replaced by marbles; she'd been dead a long, long time.**

**Looking at her sent chills up my back. And that was before she sat up on her stool and opened her mouth. A green mist poured from the mummy's mouth, coiling over the floor in thick tendrils, hissing like twenty thousand snakes. I stumbled over myself trying to get to the trap door, but it slammed shut.**

Annabeth shuddered, her face pale with remembrance.

**Inside my head, I heard a voice, slithering into one ear and coiling around my brain: _I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask._**

**I wanted to say, _No thanks, wrong door, just looking for the bathroom. _**

**But I forced myself to take a deep breath.**

"Good, face it," Ares urged.

**The mummy wasn't alive. She was some kind of gruesome receptacle for something else, the power that was now swirling around me in the green mist. But its presence didn't feel evil, like my demonic math teacher Mrs. Dodds or the Minotaur. **

**It felt more like the Three Fates I'd seen knitting the yarn outside the highway fruit stand: ancient, powerful, and definitely _not _human. But not particularly interested in killing me, either.**

The unspoken _but it could_ rang through the room.

**I got up the courage to ask, "What is my destiny?"**

**The mist swirled more thickly, collecting right in front of me and around the table with the pickled monster-part jars. Suddenly there were four men sitting around the table, playing cards. Their faces became clearer. It was Smelly Gabe and his buddies.**

"Alright, that's a little odd," Apollo muttered.

**My fists clenched, though I knew this poker party couldn't be real. It was an illusion, made out of mist.**

**Gabe turned toward me and spoke in the rasping voice of the Oracle: _You shall go west, and face the god who has turned._**

The gods exchanged glances.

**His buddy on the right looked up and said in the same voice: _You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned._**

Zeus' hand tightened over his Master Bolt.

**The guy on the left threw in two poker chips, then said: _You shall be betrayed by one who __calls you a friend._**

Annabeth and Thalia tensed.

**Finally, Eddie, our building superior, delivered the worst line of all: _And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end._**

Poseidon winced.

**The figures began to dissolve. At first I was too stunned to say anything, but as the mist retreated, coiling into a huge green serpent and slithering back into the mouth of the mummy, I cried, "Wait! What do you mean? What friend? What will I fail to save?"**

"Doesn't work like that, kid," Apollo shook his head grimly.

**The tail of the mist snake disappeared into the mummy's mouth. She reclined back against the wall. Her mouth closed tight, as if it hadn't been open in a hundred years. **

**The attic was silent again, abandoned, nothing but a room full of mementos.**

**I got the feeling that I could stand here until I had cobwebs, too, and I wouldn't learn anything else.**

"No doubt about that," Hermes muttered.

**My audience with the Oracle was over.**

**"Well?" Chiron asked me.**

**I slumped into a chair at the pinochle table. "She said I would retrieve what was stolen."**

**Grover sat forward, chewing excitedly on the remains of a Diet Coke can. "That's great!"**

The demigods winced at Grover's eagerness.

**"What did the Oracle say _exactly?" _Chiron pressed. "This is important."**

**My ears were still tingling from the reptilian voice. "She ... she said I would go west and face a god who had turned. I would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned."**

**"I knew it," Grover said.**

**Chiron didn't look satisfied. "Anything else?"**

**I didn't want to tell him. What friend would betray me? I didn't have that many. And the last line—I would fail to save what mattered most. What kind of Oracle would send me on a quest and tell me, _Oh, by the way, you'll fail_.**

"Kid, all prophecies have double meanings," Apollo said, shaking his sandy blonde hair. "Don't take it to heart."

**How could I confess that?**

**"No," I said. "That's about it."**

**He studied my face. "Very well, Percy. But know this: the Oracle's words often have double meanings. Don't dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until events come to pass."**

**I got the feeling he knew I was holding back something bad, and he was trying to make me feel better.**

"Oddly enough, this isn't Chiron's first go around," Dionysus remarked, unimpressed.

**"Okay," I said, anxious to change topics. "So where do I go? Who's this god in the west?"**

**"Ah, think, Percy," Chiron said. "If Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other in a war, who stands to gain?"**

Hades shifted uncomfortably, suddenly not liking where this was going.

**"Somebody else who wants to take over?" I guessed.**

**"Yes, quite. Someone who harbours a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided eons ago, whose kingdom would grow powerful with the deaths of millions.**

Hades rolled his eyes at that line.

**Someone who hates his brothers for forcing him into an oath to have no more children, an oath that both of them have now broken."**

**I thought about my dreams, the evil voice that had spoken from under the ground. "Hades."**

Poseidon and Zeus immediately snapped to look at their brother. Hades sneered at them, sinking into his seat.

"You can prove nothing, withhold your judgement," he snapped.

**Chiron nodded. "The Lord of the Dead is the only possibility."**

**A scrap of aluminium dribbled out of Grover's mouth. "Whoa, wait. Wh-what?"**

**"A Fury came after Percy," Chiron reminded him. "She watched the young man until she was sure of his identity, then tried to kill him. Furies obey only one lord: Hades."**

Poseidon glared at him darkly.

**"Yes, but—but Hades hates _all _heroes," Grover protested. "Especially if he has found out Percy is a son of Poseidon..."**

**"A hellhound got into the forest," Chiron continued. "Those can only be summoned from the Fields of Punishment, and it had to be summoned by someone within the camp. Hades must have a spy here. He must suspect Poseidon will try to use Percy to clear his name. Hades would very much like to kill this young half-blood before he can take on the quest."**

"Really not looking good for you, brother," Zeus rumbled.

"Also looking horrible for young Percy," Athena reminded.

**"Great," I muttered. "That's two major gods who want to kill me."**

"See?" She said.

**"But a quest to ..." Grover swallowed. "I mean, couldn't the master bolt be in some place like Maine? Maine's very nice this time of year."**

"See, now he doesn't want to go," Ares scoffed, crossing his arms, "coward."

**"Hades sent a minion to steal the master bolt," Chiron insisted. "He hid it in the Underworld, knowing full well that Zeus would blame Poseidon. I don't pretend to understand the Lord of the Dead's motives perfectly, or why he chose this time to start a war, but one thing is certain. Percy must go to the Underworld, find the master bolt, and reveal the truth."**

"But no pressure, or anything," Hermes snorted.

**A strange fire burned in my stomach. The weirdest thing was: it wasn't fear. It was anticipation.**

"Good," Ares said, a dark smile on his face, "you're going to need that anger, punk."

**The desire for revenge. Hades had tried to kill me three times so far, with the Fury, the Minotaur, and the hellhound. It was his fault my mother had disappeared in a flash of light. Now he was trying to frame me and my dad for a theft we hadn't committed.**

Poseidon's mouth quirked.

**I was ready to take him on.**

Ares cackled.

**Besides, if my mother was in the Underworld…**

**Whoa, boy, said the small part of my brain that was still sane. You're a kid. Hades is a god.**

Hades obviously agreed with that sentiment, but he didn't speak.

**Grover was trembling. He'd started eating pinochle cards like potato chips.**

Dionysus rolled his eyes and muttered something about ridiculous satyrs.

**The poor guy needed to complete a quest with me so he could get his searcher's license, whatever that was, but how could I ask him to do this quest, especially when the Oracle said I was destined to fail? This was suicide.**

**"Look, if we know it's Hades," I told Chiron, "why can't we just tell the other gods? Zeus or Poseidon could go down to the Underworld and bust some heads."**

Zeus and Poseidon both looked like they agreed with that idea, but both knew why it was impossible.

**"Suspecting and knowing are not the same," Chiron said. "Besides, even if the other gods suspect Hades—and I imagine Poseidon does—**

Said god gave his brother a dark look.

**they couldn't retrieve the bolt themselves. Gods cannot cross each other's territories except by invitation. That is another ancient rule. Heroes, on the other hand, have certain privileges. They can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as they're bold enough and strong enough to do it. No god can be held responsible for a hero's actions.**

"Even though Poseidon is being blamed for Percy's supposed actions?" Leo pointed out, cocking a brow.

"In this case, they suspect that Perseus is acting upon Poseidon's orders." Hera replied primly. "If that is the case, then it's not as if Perseus committed the crime just because he could."

**Why do you think the gods always operate through humans?"**

**"You're saying I'm being used."**

"Welcome to the life and times of a demigod," Leo said sarcastically. "Have fun, and die hard."

"Shut up!" Annabeth snapped at him, obviously the last line had struck hard.

"Ah, sorry, Annabeth," he amended, wincing in realization.

**"I'm saying it's no accident Poseidon has claimed you now. It's a very risky gamble, but he's in a desperate situation. He needs you."**

Poseidon looked grim.

**My dad needs me.**

**Emotions rolled around inside me like bits of glass in a kaleidoscope. I didn't know whether to feel resentful or grateful or happy or angry. Poseidon had ignored me for twelve years. Now suddenly he needed me.**

Poseidon winced but sighed quietly. If he had it his way...

**I looked at Chiron. "You've known I was Poseidon's son all along, haven't you?"**

**"I had my suspicions. As I said... I've spoken to the Oracle, too."**

"Hence why he was watching so closely," Piper murmured.

**I got the feeling there was a lot he wasn't telling me about his prophecy, but I decided I couldn't worry about that right now. After all, I was holding back information too.**

Athena shook her head.

**"So let me get this straight," I said. "I'm supposed go to the Underworld and confront the Lord of the Dead."**

**"Check," Chiron said.**

**"Find the most powerful weapon in the universe."**

**"Check."**

**"And get it back to Olympus before the summer solstice, in ten days."**

**"That's about right."**

"Have fun, kiddo," Apollo chuckled.

**I looked at Grover, who gulped down the ace of hearts.**

**"Did I mention that Maine is very nice this time of year?" he asked weakly.**

**"You don't have to go," I told him. "I can't ask that of you."**

**"Oh..." He shifted his hooves. "No... it's just that satyrs and underground places... well..."**

"Yeah, they don't really work well underground," Hermes remarked, shaking his head. "It would be like dropping Percy in the desert; it takes away the majority of his advantage."

**He took a deep breath, then stood, brushing the shredded cards and aluminium bits off his T-shirt. "You saved my life, Percy. If ... if you're serious about wanting me along, I won't let you down."**

**I felt so relieved I wanted to cry, though I didn't think that would be very heroic.**

Ares scoffed.

**Grover was the only friend I'd ever had for longer than a few months. I wasn't sure what good a satyr could do against the forces of the dead, but I felt better knowing he'd be with me.**

**"All the way, G-man." I turned to Chiron. "So where do we go? The Oracle just said to go west."**

**"The entrance to the Underworld is always in the west. It moves from age to age, just like Olympus. Right now, of course, it's in America."**

**"Where?"**

**Chiron looked surprised. "I thought that would be obvious enough. The entrance to the Underworld is in Los Angeles."**

"Of course," Piper giggled quietly.

**"Oh," I said. "Naturally. So we just get on a plane—"**

Poseidon choked, his eyes going wide.

**"No!" Grover shrieked. "Percy, what are you thinking? Have you ever been on a plane in your life?"**

**I shook my head, feeling embarrassed. My mom had never taken me anywhere by plane. She'd always said we didn't have the money. Besides, her parents had died in a plane crash.**

**"Percy, think," Chiron said. "You are the son of the Sea God. Your father's bitterest rival is Zeus, Lord of the Sky. Your mother knew better than to trust you in an airplane. You would be in Zeus's domain. You would never come down again alive."**

Zeus looked like he very much agreed with this assessment.

**Overhead, lightning crackled. Thunder boomed.**

**"Okay," I said, determined not to look at the storm. "So, I'll travel overland."**

The five demigods exchanged glances, each one looking grim. It was a small, but terrible reminder of the difficulties their own time was now facing.

**"That's right," Chiron said. "Two companions may accompany you. Grover is one. The other has already volunteered, if you will accept her help."**

**"Gee," I said, feigning surprise. "Who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest like this?"**

Annabeth huffed and a few people chuckled.

**The air shimmered behind Chiron. Annabeth became visible, stuffing her Yankees cap into her back pocket.**

**"I've been waiting a long time for a quest, Seaweed Brain," she said. "Athena is no fan of Poseidon,**

Both gods scoffed.

**but if you're going to save the world, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up."**

**"If you do say so yourself," I said. "I suppose you have a plan, Wise Girl?"**

**Her cheeks coloured. **

"Gee, wonder why?" Jason drawled.

**"Do you want my help or not?"**

**The truth was, I did. I needed all the help I could get.**

Athena nodded approvingly.

**"A trio," I said. "That'll work."**

**"Excellent," Chiron said. "This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan. After that, you are on your own."**

**Lightning flashed. Rain poured down on the meadows that were never supposed to have violent weather.**

**"No time to waste," Chiron said. "I think you should all get packing."**

"Understatement," Hermes chuckled.

"That's the end of the chapter," Aphrodite sang.

"How about one more chapter before we call it a day?" Hera suggested. "We have much to think about."

"Pass me the book then," Hestia offered. "Chapter ten," she said once she had gotten it, "I Ruin a Perfectly Good Bus."

* * *

Because I didn't even realize yesterday was Pi Day (the date being 3.14), I'm throwing this up here just because I can.

So, it's currently four in the morning in my little patch of Toronto, why am I still up? Because I'm an insomniac, that's why.

I could really go for some Starbucks right now...

Sorry, I'm rambling.

In any case, hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	11. Chapter 11

**I Ruin a Perfectly Good Bus**

"Well, that was fast," Leo snorted.

"You have no idea," Annabeth muttered.

**It didn't take me long to pack. I decided to leave the Minotaur horn in my cabin, which left me only an extra change of clothes and a toothbrush to stuff in a backpack Grover had found for me.**

"So, pretty much everything he had," Poseidon shook his head.

**The camp store loaned me one hundred dollars in mortal money and twenty golden drachmas. These coins were as big as Girl Scout cookies and had images of various Greek gods stamped on one side and the Empire State Building on the other.**

"Girl Scout cookies are amazing," Leo stated with a nod. "They're like- epic!"

"Amen to that, kid," Apollo laughed.

**The ancient mortal drachmas had been silver, Chiron told us, but Olympians never used less than pure gold.**

"Of course not," Hermes chuckled.

**Chiron said the coins might come in handy for non-mortal transactions—whatever that meant.**

"Oh, don't worry," Annabeth said in response to the looks being exchanged. "He learnt _fast_."

**He gave Annabeth and me each a canteen of nectar and a Ziploc bag full of ambrosia squares, to be used only in emergencies, if we were seriously hurt.**

Poseidon and Athena both frowned. They didn't enjoy contemplating that idea.

**It was god food, Chiron reminded us. It would cure us of almost any injury, but it was lethal to mortals. Too much of it would make a half-blood very, very feverish. An overdose would burn us up, literally.**

"I wonder if it bypasses the demigods powers too," Leo remarked thoughtfully. "I mean, I'm fire resistant... does that mean that it would take more for me to go boom?"

"Do you really want to find out?" Piper asked him.

"Ah... good point."

**Annabeth was bringing her magic Yankees cap, which she told me, had been a twelfth-birthday present from her mom.**

Athena smiled faintly.

**She carried a book on famous classical architecture, written in Ancient Greek, to read when she got bored, and a long bronze knife, hidden in her shirt sleeve. I was sure the knife would get us busted the first time we went through a metal detector.**

"Logically, you would think that," Athena stated, "but certain metals aren't picked up by mortal metal detectors as they're not mortal metals."

**Grover wore his fake feet and his pants to pass as human. He wore a green rasta-style cap, because when it rained his curly hair flattened and you could just see the tips of his horns. His bright orange backpack was full of scrap metal and apples to snack on.**

"Sounds like Leo," Jason chuckled, ducking the swipe Leo took at him.

**In his pocket was a set of reed pipes his daddy goat had carved for him, even though he only knew two songs: Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 12 and Hilary Duff's "So Yesterday," both of which sounded pretty bad on reed pipes.**

Dionysus twitched in irritation.

**We waved good-bye to the other campers, took one last look at the strawberry fields, the ocean, and the Big House, then hiked up Half-Blood Hill to the tall pine tree that used to be Thalia, daughter of Zeus.**

Thalia grumbled something under her breath.

**Chiron was waiting for us in his wheelchair. Next to him stood the surfer dude I'd seen when I was recovering in the sick room. According to Grover, the guy was the camp's head of security. He supposedly had eyes all over his body so he could never be surprised. Today, though, he was wearing a chauffeur's uniform, so I could only see extra peepers on his hands, face and neck.**

**"This is Argus," Chiron told me. "He will drive you into the city, and, er, well, keep an eye on things."**

"Ba-dum-tsh!" Leo mimed hitting the drums. "One for the history books, ladies and gents!"

**I heard footsteps behind us. Luke came running up the hill, carrying a pair of basketball shoes.**

**"Hey!" he panted. "Glad I caught you."**

**Annabeth blushed, the way she always did when Luke was around.**

Annabeth sunk into her seat, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks.

**"Just wanted to say good luck," Luke told me. "And I thought ... um, maybe you could use these."**

**He handed me the sneakers, which looked pretty normal. They even smelled kind of normal.**

**Luke said, _"Maia!"_**

Hermes cursed as he was suddenly lifted off of his seat. "_Maia_." He sighed.

"Er... perhaps it's better for you to stay in the air, Lord Hermes," Annabeth suggested. "They're going to be saying M- _that word_ a lot."

"Great," Hermes muttered, shaking his head.

**White bird's wings sprouted out of the heels, startling me so much, I dropped them. The shoes flapped around on the ground until the wings folded up and disappeared.**

**"Awesome!" Grover said.**

**Luke smiled. "Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad. Of course, I don't use them much these days..." His expression turned sad.**

Hermes frowned, unsure of why -exactly- that would be.

**I didn't know what to say. It was cool enough that Luke had come to say goodbye. I'd been afraid he might resent me for getting so much attention the last few days. But here he was giving me a magic gift... It made me blush almost as much as Annabeth.**

Aphrodite made an ear-piercing squeal.

"I do not want to know why you made that sound, woman," Ares grunted, removing his sunglasses for a moment to rub his ear properly.

**"Hey, man," I said. "Thanks."**

**"Listen, Percy ..." Luke looked uncomfortable. "A lot of hopes are riding on you. So just ... kill some monsters for me, okay?"**

**We shook hands. Luke patted Grover's head between his horns, then gave a goodbye hug to Annabeth, who looked like she might pass out.**

"Shut up," Annabeth grumbled, blushing hotly.

"Did not say a word," Leo sniggered.

**After Luke was gone, I told her, "You're hyperventilating."**

**"Am not."**

**"You let him capture the flag instead of you, didn't you?"**

**"Oh ... why do I want to go anywhere with you, Percy?"**

"Oh yes, Annabeth, do answer that question," Aphrodite cooed.

"Aphrodite," Athena warned.

**She stomped down the other side of the hill, where a white SUV waited on the shoulder of the road. Argus followed, jingling his car keys.**

**I picked up the flying shoes and had a sudden bad feeling. I looked at Chiron. "I won't be able to use these, will I?"**

"Not if you don't want to be hit by a lightning bolt," Zeus scoffed. "I do not need a sea brat in my space."

"Oh please, Zeus," Hera rolled her eyes, "you don't see Poseidon stopping your children from swimming, do you?"

"I have no issue with them swimming," Poseidon shrugged. "Just... don't go too far out into the ocean. I do not run a dictatorship with my ocean, just as Zeus does not control every lightning strike. You may be more apt to... being hurt."

"Duly noted," Thalia remarked dryly.

**He shook his head. "Luke meant well, Percy. But taking to the air ... that would not be wise for you."**

"Probably Luke's aim," Annabeth muttered under her breath.

**I nodded, disappointed, but then I got an idea. "Hey, Grover. You want a magic item?"**

**His eyes lit up. "Me?"**

**Pretty soon we'd laced the sneakers over his fake feet, and the world's first flying goat boy was ready for launch.**

Apollo and Hermes laughed.

**_"Maia!" _he shouted.**

"Crap!" Hermes complained as he was lifted into the air. "_Maia_!"

**He got off the ground okay, but then fell over sideways so his backpack dragged through the grass. The winged shoes kept bucking up and down like tiny broncos.**

**"Practice," Chiron called after him. "You just need practice!"**

"Understatement," Leo laughed.

**"Aaaaa!" Grover went flying sideways down the hill like a possessed lawn mower, heading toward the van.**

Most everyone was laughing at this point; the mental image was just too funny.

**Before I could follow, Chiron caught my arm. "I should have trained you better, Percy," he said. "If only I had more time. Hercules, Jason—they all got more training."**

"You didn't," Piper said, looking up at Jason.

"Yes I did," he refuted, showing her his tattoo. "Each line represents a different year I was at camp. I've had more training that most people."

Piper trailed her fingers over the lines, causing goose-bumps to break out over his arm. Aphrodite saw this happen with a wide, devious smile. Her daughter and Zeus' boy? _Ooh_, she could make this one work.

**"That's okay. I just wish—"**

**I stopped myself because I was about to sound like a brat. I was wishing my dad had given me a cool magic item to help on the quest, something as good as Luke's flying shoes, or Annabeth's invisible cap.**

Poseidon smiled mysteriously.

**"What am I thinking?" Chiron cried. "I can't let you get away without this."**

**He pulled a pen from his coat pocket and handed it to me. It was an ordinary disposable ballpoint, black ink, removable cap. Probably cost thirty cents.**

**"Gee," I said. "Thanks."**

**"Percy, that's a gift from your father. I've kept it for years, not knowing you were who I was waiting for. But the prophecy is clear to me now. You are the one."**

"Sounds like something out of a bad fantasy novel," Apollo chuckled.

"Says the guy written down as a myth," Jason pointed out wryly.

"Touché," he replied wryly.

**I remembered the field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, when I'd vaporized Mrs. Dodds. Chiron had thrown me a pen that turned into a sword. Could this be ... ?**

**I took off the cap, and the pen grew longer and heavier in my hand. In half a second, I held a shimmering bronze sword with a double-edged blade, a leather-wrapped grip, and a flat hilt riveted with gold studs. It was the first weapon that actually felt balanced in my hand.**

Poseidon grinned broadly.

**"The sword has a long and tragic history that we need not go into," Chiron told me. "Its name is Anaklusmos."**

Artemis looked away, her mind on her lieutenant.

**"'Riptide,'" I translated, surprised the Ancient Greek came so easily.**

"Seaweed brain," Annabeth rolled her eyes fondly.

**"Use it only for emergencies," Chiron said, "and only against monsters. No hero should harm mortals unless absolutely necessary, of course, but this sword wouldn't harm them in any case."**

**I looked at the wickedly sharp blade. "What do you mean it wouldn't harm mortals?" How could it not?**

"Easily," Ares snorted.

**"The sword is celestial bronze. Forged by the Cyclopes, tempered in the heart of Mount Etna, cooled in the River Lethe.**

Thalia grimaced at the mention of the river. The memories she had of her, Nico, and Percy having to cross it was still a bad one. She had sworn that when the tide crashed over him, Percy was going to come up as an amnesiac...

**It's deadly to monsters, to any creature from the Underworld, provided they don't kill you first. But the blade will pass through mortals like an illusion. They simply are not important enough for the blade to kill.**

"I dare you to tell Rachel that," Annabeth whispered to Thalia.

Thalia chortled. "After you, you jerk."

**And I should warn you: as a demigod, you can be killed by either celestial or normal weapons. You are _twice _as vulnerable."**

**"Good to know."**

"Twice as useful, twice as vulnerable," Jason remarked, shaking his head.

**"Now recap the pen."**

**I touched the pen cap to the sword tip and instantly Riptide shrank to a ballpoint pen again. I tucked it in my pocket, a little nervous, because I was famous for losing pens at school.**

"Yeah, that would suck," Leo snorted. "'Dude, I would, like, _love_ to kill that monsters. But I left my monster-slaying sword-pen at home! Sorry, man!'"

"By the gods, Leo," Piper said, laughing lightly.

**"You can't," Chiron said.**

**"Can't what?"**

**"Lose the pen," he said. "It is enchanted. It will always reappear in your pocket. Try it."**

**I was wary, but I threw the pen as far as I could down the hill and watched it disappear in the grass.**

**"It may take a few moments," Chiron told me. "Now check your pocket."**

**Sure enough, the pen was there.**

"Oh, awesome!" Leo cheered. "I wonder if I could program something to do that..."

"Like a tracking beacon?" Jason asked.

"Yeah! But, it'd have to be lightweight and capable enough to withstand _anything_ so I'd have to get some celestial bronze- Then, of course, rigging up the tracker in the first place, probably create a tiny helicopter within it, and voilá!" Leo opened his hands and showed that his trinket had been turned into a flying pen. The cap had been rigged with helicopter blades and managed to fly around the room at a fair speed before landing in Leo's outstretched palm. "It's only a model, of course," he said, "but it's good enough!"

"Not bad, boy," Hephaestus nodded approvingly. A fair number of others looked just as impressed.

**"Okay, that's _extremely _cool," I admitted. "But what if a mortal sees me pulling out a sword?"**

**Chiron smiled. "Mist is a powerful thing, Percy."**

"Incredibly," Athena murmured.

**"Mist?"**

**"Yes. Read _The Iliad. _It's full of references to the stuff. Whenever divine or monstrous elements mix with the mortal world, they generate Mist, which obscures the vision of humans. You will see things just as they are,**

"Sometimes," Jason muttered, both Piper and Leo looked grim.

**being a half-blood, but humans will interpret things quite differently. Remarkable, really, the lengths to which humans will go to fit things into their version of reality."**

**I put Riptide back in my pocket.**

**For the first time, the quest felt real.**

"That happens," Jason nodded. "You don't really understand what you're going to do until you have to do it."

**I was actually leaving Half-Blood Hill. I was heading west with no adult supervision, no backup plan, not even a cell phone. (Chiron said cell phones were traceable by monsters; if we used one, it would be worse than sending up a flare.)**

"I'll have to work on that as well," Leo grunted, sounding terrifyingly like his father, "see if there's a way to fix that, or encode it or something..."

"Ea- er... Olympus to Leo!" Piper called, snapping her fingers in front of her face. "Olympus to Leo, come in Leo!"

"Leo here," he said, snapping to attention and giving her a grin, "what can I do for you Olympus?"

"Pay attention," Piper replied wryly, shoving him lightly.

**I had no weapon stronger than a sword to fight off monsters and reach the Land of the Dead.**

**"Chiron ..." I said. "When you say the gods are immortal... I mean, there was a time _before _them, right?"**

The gods all grimaced.

**"Four ages before them, actually. The Time of the Titans was the Fourth Age, sometimes called the Golden Age, which is definitely a misnomer. This, the time of Western civilization and the rule of Zeus, is the Fifth Age."**

**"So what was it like ... before the gods?"**

**Chiron pursed his lips. "Even I am not old enough to remember that, child, but I know it was a time of darkness and savagery for mortals. Kronos, the lord of the Titans, called his reign the Golden Age because men lived innocent and free of all knowledge.**

Athena scowled darkly.

**But that was mere propaganda. The Titan king cared nothing for your kind except as appetizers or a source of cheap entertainment. It was only in the early reign of Lord Zeus, when Prometheus the good Titan brought fire to mankind, that your species began to progress, and even then Prometheus was branded a radical thinker.**

Annabeth's expression unconsciously copied her mother's at the name.

**Zeus punished him severely, as you may recall. Of course, eventually the gods warmed to humans, and Western civilization was born."**

**"But the gods can't die now, right? I mean, as long as Western civilization is alive, they're alive. So ... even if I failed, nothing could happen so bad it would mess up _everything, _right?"**

"Poor child," Aphrodite clucked sympathetically. "You have no idea how much we gods need you demigods."

**Chiron gave me a melancholy smile. "No one knows how long the Age of the West will last, Percy. The gods are immortal, yes. But then, so were the Titans.**

"Are," Athena corrected grimly. "The Titans _are_ immortal."

**_They _still exist, locked away in their various prisons, forced to endure endless pain and punishment, reduced in power, but still very much alive. May the Fates forbid that the gods should ever suffer such a doom, or that we should ever return to the darkness and chaos of the past. All we can do, child, is follow our destiny."**

**"Our destiny ... assuming we know what that is."**

The entire room went quiet.

**"Relax," Chiron told me. "Keep a clear head. And remember, you may be about to prevent the biggest war in human history."**

"Or start one," Dionysus muttered. "But no pressure."

**"Relax," I said. "I'm very relaxed."**

Apollo snorted and shook his head.

**When I got to the bottom of the hill, I looked back. Under the pine tree that used to be Thalia, daughter of Zeus, Chiron was now standing in full horse-man form, holding his bow high in salute. Just your typical summer-camp send-off by your typical centaur.**

The room snorted.

**Argus drove us out of the countryside and into western Long Island. It felt weird to be on a highway again, Annabeth and Grover sitting next to me as if we were normal carpoolers. After two weeks at Half-Blood Hill, the real world seemed like a fantasy.**

"That's because it's not the real world," Demeter pointed out. "_Our_ world is the real one."

"Perception," Athena mused. "A favourite of mine, René Descartes, he said that what is real is what you know."

"That the only thing you can be sure of is your own existence," Annabeth smiled at her mother. "_Cogito Ergo Sum._"

"I think, therefore, I am," Jason translated.

**I found myself staring at every McDonald's, every kid in the back of his parents' car, every billboard and shopping mall.**

**"So far so good," I told Annabeth. "Ten miles and not a single monster."**

"Way to jinx it, kiddo," Hermes said distractedly, staring at his phone.

**She gave me an irritated look. "It's bad luck to talk that way, seaweed brain."**

**"Remind me again—why do you hate me so much?"**

**"I don't hate you."**

**"Could've fooled me."**

Annabeth blushed and looked away.

**She folded her cap of invisibility. "Look ... we're just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals."**

Hera gave Athena and Poseidon disapproving looks.

**"Why?"**

"Because he's an arrogant, offensive fool," Athena sniffed.

"_I'm_ arrogant?" Poseidon scoffed. "Take a look in the mirror and repeat that. You can never admit when you're wrong, and insist upon throwing everyone's mistakes into their face."

"Whilst _you_ are temperamental and childish," Athena retorted coldly.

"Enough." Zeus snapped. "We don't have time for this."

"No, only when it's _your_ arguments, brother," Hades muttered under his breath rebelliously. Zeus shot him a filthy look.

**She sighed. "How many reasons do you want? One time my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena's temple, which is _hugely _disrespectful.**

"Incredibly so," Athena scowled.

Poseidon shrugged and rolled his eyes.

**Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god for the city of Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree.**

"Because _that_ didn't sound antagonistic," Leo remarked dryly. "_Your _dad did something so stupid, whilst _my_ mom did something so amazing."

"I didn't mean it like that," Annabeth said, a touch of exasperation in her voice.

Leo shrugged. "Maybe not directly, but you implied it."

"Okay, yes, I was being childish." Annabeth replied, rolling her eyes skyward. "But, I was also twelve. If Percy can be forgiven for his ignorance, why can I not be forgiven for mine?"

"Because your ignorance is being borne from arrogance," Dionysus told her. "Do forgive me for interjecting, but this was going nowhere fast. As I was saying; your perception of your mother always being right, therefore, Poseidon was always wrong, is obscuring your vision and making it difficult for you to work with the boy. Yes, the boy is painfully ignorant and slow, but _you_ are being arrogant and consistently throwing his own ignorance in his face."

"Okay, yes, she was like that!" Piper cut in. "But leave her alone! She was twelve, and _everyone's_ stupid when they're younger!"

Dionysus shrugged and went back to his pop, Annabeth mouthed _thank you_ at Piper; the daughter of Aphrodite smiled in reply.

**The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her."**

**"They must really like olives."**

Apollo sniggered. "Apparently."

**"Oh, forget it."**

**"Now, if she'd invented pizza—_that _I could understand."**

Poseidon chuckled.

**"I said, forget it!"**

**In the front seat, Argus smiled. He didn't say anything, but one blue eye on the back of his neck winked at me.**

"If Argus is with Percy, I'm with Percy," Leo snickered.

"But we already knew that," Annabeth said dryly.

Leo winced. "Er, sorry about before Annabeth. I'm not known for my tact, and I was just saying it as I saw it."

Annabeth shook her head. "It's fine. You were right. Looking back, I _was_ being rude."

**Traffic slowed us down in Queens. By the time we got into Manhattan it was sunset and starting to rain.**

**Argus dropped us at the Greyhound Station on the Upper East Side, not far from my mom and Gabe's apartment. Taped to a mailbox was a soggy flier with my picture on it: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BOY?**

**I ripped it down before Annabeth and Grover could notice.**

Annabeth sighed and shook her head.

"You saw it, didn't you?" Thalia murmured to her; Annabeth just nodded.

**Argus unloaded our bags, made sure we got our bus tickets, then drove away, the eye on the back of his hand opening to watch us as he pulled out of the parking lot.**

**I thought about how close I was to my old apartment. On a normal day, my mom would be home from the candy store by now. Smelly Gabe was probably up there right now, playing poker, not even missing her.**

Poseidon grimaced and shook his head, running a hand through his dark hair.

**Grover shouldered his backpack. He gazed down the street in the direction I was looking. "You want to know why she married him, Percy?"**

"To protect him," Poseidon murmured. _Because I could not_, he thought.

**I stared at him. "Were you reading my mind or something?"**

**"Just your emotions." He shrugged. "Guess I forgot to tell you satyrs can do that. You were thinking about your mom and your stepdad, right?"**

**I nodded, wondering what else Grover might've forgotten to tell me.**

**"Your mom married Gabe for _you,"_**

"Because that's not going to make him feel worse," Apollo said dryly. "This kid, much like the original Perseus, idolizes his mother. It must kill him to know that she suffered for so long just for him."

**Grover told me. "You call him 'Smelly,' but you've got no idea. The guy has this aura…. Yuck. I can smell him from here. I can smell traces of him on you, and you haven't been near him for a week."**

**"Thanks," I said. "Where's the nearest shower?"**

"Amen," Hermes snorted. "I doubt anyone wants to be anywhere _near_ that guy."

**"You should be grateful, Percy. Your stepfather smells so repulsively human he could mask the presence of any demigod. As soon as I took a whiff inside his Camaro, I knew: Gabe has been covering your scent for years. If you hadn't lived with him every summer, you probably would've been found by monsters a long time ago. Your mom stayed with him to protect you. She was a smart lady. She must've loved you a lot to put up with that guy—if that makes you feel any better."**

"An impressive woman," Athena murmured, unknowingly voicing the thoughts of everyone in the room.

"A very impressive woman," Poseidon agreed, his voice somewhat hoarse.

**It didn't, but I forced myself not to show it.**

**I'll see her again, I thought. She isn't gone.**

**I wondered if Grover could still read my emotions, mixed up as they were. I was glad he and Annabeth were with me, but I felt guilty that I hadn't been straight with them.**

Annabeth smiled sadly. "We had a good idea, Percy."

**I hadn't told them the real reason I'd said yes to this crazy quest.**

**The truth was, I didn't care about retrieving Zeus's lightning bolt, or saving the world, or even helping my father out of trouble. The more I thought about it, I resented Poseidon for never visiting me, never helping my mom, never even sending a lousy child-support check. He'd only claimed me because he needed a job done.**

Poseidon's jaw tightened. But he couldn't find it within himself to be upset or angry.

**All I cared about was my mom. Hades had taken her unfairly, and Hades was going to give her back.**

"Have to admire such grit," Hades remarked dryly. "Even if he is impertinent."

**_You will be betrayed by one who calls you a friend, _the Oracle whispered in my mind. _You will fail to save what matters most in the end._**

**_Shut up, _I told it.**

Apollo choked on a laugh.

**The rain kept coming down.**

**We got restless waiting for the bus and decided to play some Hacky Sack with one of Grover's apples. Annabeth was unbelievable. She could bounce the apple off her knee, her elbow, her shoulder, whatever. I wasn't too bad myself.**

"He was good, don't listen to him," Annabeth laughed softly.

**The game ended when I tossed the apple toward Grover and it got too close to his mouth. In one mega goat bite, our Hacky Sack disappeared—core, stem, and all.**

Chuckles rang out through the room.

**Grover blushed. He tried to apologize, but Annabeth and I were too busy cracking up.**

**Finally the bus came. As we stood in line to board, Grover started looking around, sniffing the air like he smelled his favourite school cafeteria delicacy—enchiladas.**

"Or he's searching for a monster," Jason murmured.

**"What is it?" I asked.**

**"I don't know," he said tensely. "Maybe it's nothing."**

**But I could tell it wasn't nothing. I started looking over my shoulder, too.**

Poseidon pinched the bridge of his nose.

**I was relieved when we finally got on board and found seats together in the back of the bus. We stowed our backpacks. Annabeth kept slapping her Yankees cap nervously against her thigh.**

**As the last passengers got on, Annabeth clamped her hand onto my knee.**

Aphrodite giggled evilly and Annabeth groaned, shaking her head.

**"Percy."**

**An old lady had just boarded the bus. She wore a crumpled velvet dress, lace gloves, and a shapeless orange-knit hat that shadowed her face, and she carried a big paisley purse. When she tilted her head up, her black eyes glittered, and my heart skipped a beat.**

**It was Mrs. Dodds. Older, more withered, but definitely the same evil face.**

Poseidon hissed out a breath and glared at his brother.

**I scrunched down in my seat.**

**Behind her came two more old ladies: one in a green hat, one in a purple hat. Otherwise they looked exactly like Mrs. Dodds—same gnarled hands, paisley handbags, wrinkled velvet dresses. Triplet demon grandmothers.**

"Threes everywhere," Leo snorted. "Three heroes, three fates, three demonic grandmothers."

"Three is a sacred number," Apollo agreed.

**They sat in the front row, right behind the driver. The two on the aisle crossed their legs over the walkway, making an X. It was casual enough, but it sent a clear message: nobody leaves.**

Athena scowled darkly. "We may not be friends, Poseidon. But I think we can both agree that going after our children is far too much."

"Agreed," Poseidon replied, his knuckles white on his trident.

**The bus pulled out of the station, and we headed through the slick streets of Manhattan. "She didn't stay dead long," I said, trying to keep my voice from quivering. "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime."**

**"I said if you're _lucky_," Annabeth said. "You're obviously not."**

"Obviously," Poseidon snorted.

**"All three of them," Grover whimpered. _"Di immortales!"_**

**"It's okay," Annabeth said, obviously thinking hard. "The Furies. The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem. No problem. We'll just slip out the windows."**

**"They don't open," Grover moaned.**

"Well, crap," Leo snorted.

**"A back exit?" she suggested.**

**There wasn't one. Even if there had been, it wouldn't have helped. By that time, we were on Ninth Avenue, heading for the Lincoln Tunnel.**

"You're in a really bad spot," Hephaestus said offhandedly.

**"They won't attack us with witnesses around," I said. "Will they?"**

**"Mortals don't have good eyes," Annabeth reminded me. "Their brains can only process what they see through the Mist."**

**"They'll see three old ladies killing us, won't they?"**

Piper winced and shook her head.

**She thought about it. "Hard to say. But we can't count on mortals for help. Maybe an emergency exit in the roof ... ?"**

**We hit the Lincoln Tunnel, and the bus went dark except for the running lights down the aisle. It was eerily quiet without the sound of the rain.**

"Creepy," Apollo muttered.

**Mrs. Dodds got up. In a flat voice, as if she'd rehearsed it, she announced to the whole bus: "I need to use the restroom."**

**"So do I," said the second sister.**

**"So do I," said the third sister.**

Poseidon hissed out a curse.

**They all started coming down the aisle.**

**"I've got it," Annabeth said. "Percy, take my hat."**

"Good plan," Athena nodded approvingly, a tightness around her mouth.

**"What?"**

**"You're the one they want. Turn invisible and go up the aisle. Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away."**

**"But you guys—"**

**"There's an outside chance they might not notice us," Annabeth said. "You're a son of one of the Big Three. Your smell might be overpowering."**

The three brothers in question grimaced. Jason and Thalia both looked irked as well.

**"I can't just leave you."**

**"Don't worry about us," Grover said. "Go!"**

**My hands trembled. I felt like a coward, but I took the Yankees cap and put it on. When I looked down, my body wasn't there anymore.**

"That must be weird," Leo laughed, his voice somewhat strained.

**I started creeping up the aisle. I managed to get up ten rows, then duck into an empty seat just as the Furies walked past. Mrs. Dodds stopped, sniffing, and looked straight at me. My heart was pounding. Apparently she didn't see anything. She and her sisters kept going.**

Poseidon blew out a slow breath.

**I was free. I made it to the front of the bus. We were almost through the Lincoln Tunnel now. I was about to press the emergency stop button when I heard hideous wailing from the back row.**

Athena grit her teeth.

**The old ladies were not old ladies anymore. Their faces were still the same—I guess those couldn't get any uglier—but their bodies had shrivelled into leathery brown hag bodies with bat's wings and hands and feet like gargoyle claws. Their handbags had turned into fiery whips.**

Both Poseidon and Athena shot Hades filthy looks.

**The Furies surrounded Grover and Annabeth, lashing their whips, hissing: "Where is it? Where?"**

Athena's head jerked slightly and her eyes narrowed. That didn't sound right...

**The other people on the bus were screaming, cowering in their seats. They saw _something, _all right.**

"I bet," Dionysus muttered.

**"He's not here!" Annabeth yelled. "He's gone!"**

**The Furies raised their whips. Annabeth drew her bronze knife. Grover grabbed a tin can from his snack bag and prepared to throw it. What I did next was so impulsive and dangerous I should've been named ADHD poster child of the year.**

Poseidon frowned deeply as the others in the room perked up slightly, curious.

**The bus driver was distracted, trying to see what was going on in his rear view mirror.**

**Still invisible, I grabbed the wheel from him and jerked it to the left.**

"Not bad," Apollo praised.

"He better not get my daughter killed," Athena muttered.

"Mom," Annabeth sighed, "I'm right here."

**Everybody howled as they were thrown to the right, and I heard what I hoped was the sound of three Furies smashing against the windows.**

**"Hey!" the driver yelled. "Hey—whoa!"**

**We wrestled for the wheel. The bus slammed against the side of the tunnel, grinding metal, throwing sparks a mile behind us. We careened out of the Lincoln Tunnel and back into the rainstorm, people and monsters tossed around the bus, cars plowed aside like bowling pins.**

"Oh, damn!" Apollo laughed in disbelief.

**Somehow the driver found an exit. We shot off the highway, through half a dozen traffic lights, and ended up barrelling down one of those New Jersey rural roads where you can't believe there's so much nothing right across the river from New York. There were woods to our left, the Hudson River to our right, and the driver seemed to be veering toward the river.**

"Well, Percy'll be okay," Hermes remarked wryly.

**Another great idea: I hit the emergency brake.**

**The bus wailed, spun a full circle on the wet asphalt, and crashed into the trees.**

"Damn," Ares crowed.

**The emergency lights came on. The door flew open. The bus driver was the first one out, the passengers yelling as they stampeded after him. I stepped into the driver's seat and let them pass.**

**The Furies regained their balance. They lashed their whips at Annabeth while she waved her knife and yelled in Ancient Greek, telling them to back off. Grover threw tin cans.**

"Bet you the tin cans did the most damage," Leo deadpanned, causing him to get a pillow to the face.

**I looked at the open doorway. I was free to go, but I couldn't leave my friends.**

"Loyal idiot," Annabeth muttered.

**I took off the invisible cap. "Hey!"**

**The Furies turned, baring their yellow fangs at me, and the exit suddenly seemed like an excellent idea. Mrs. Dodds stalked up the aisle, just as she used to do in class, about to deliver my F- math test.**

"Oh, _perite_!" Hermes suddenly cussed, leaping to his feet with his eyes glued to his phone. "I've got to go; sorry about this."

Immediately, the Messenger God got to his feet and hurried out of the room, snapping orders on his phone. The others watched him go worriedly.

"Should we continue?" Hestia asked quietly. "We only have a few more pages to go."

"Continue," Zeus replied calmly. "Hermes will handle what it is he needs to."

Hestia nodded and began to read once again.

**Every time she flicked her whip, red flames danced along the barbed leather.**

**Her two ugly sisters hopped on top of the seats on either side of her and crawled toward me like huge nasty lizards.**

**"Perseus Jackson," Mrs. Dodds said, in an accent that was definitely from somewhere farther south than Georgia. "You have offended the gods. You shall die."**

"When doesn't he offend the gods?" Thalia snorted. "Jeez, Percy's too opinionated for his own good."

"No man can tame the tide," Poseidon said with a small smirk.

**"I liked you better as a math teacher," I told her.**

**She growled. Annabeth and Grover moved up behind the Furies cautiously, looking for an opening. I took the ballpoint pen out of my pocket and uncapped it. Riptide elongated into a shimmering double-edged sword.**

**The Furies hesitated.**

**Mrs. Dodds had felt Riptide's blade before. She obviously didn't like seeing it again.**

"Obviously," Jason chuckled.

**"Submit now," she hissed. "And you will not suffer eternal torment."**

**"Nice try," I told her.**

**"Percy, look out!" Annabeth cried.**

**Mrs. Dodds lashed her whip around my sword hand while the Furies on the either side lunged at me.**

Poseidon frowned worriedly.

**My hand felt like it was wrapped in molten lead, but I managed not to drop Riptide. I stuck the Fury on the left with its hilt, sending her toppling backward into a seat. I turned and sliced the Fury on the right. As soon as the blade connected with her neck, she screamed and exploded into dust. Annabeth got Mrs. Dodds in a wrestler's hold and yanked her backward **

"Go Annabeth!" Piper crowed.

**while Grover ripped the whip out of her hands.**

**"Ow!" he yelled. "Ow! Hot! Hot!"**

"Well, it's only made out of fire," Hades snorted.

**The Fury I'd hilt-slammed came at me again, talons ready, but I swung Riptide and she broke open like a piñata.**

"Now, if I didn't know that they turned into dust that would be incredibly gross," Leo said, wrinkling his nose.

**Mrs. Dodds was trying to get Annabeth off her back. She kicked, clawed, hissed and bit, but Annabeth held on while Grover got Mrs. Dodds's legs tied up in her own whip. Finally they both shoved her backward into the aisle. Mrs. Dodds tried to get up, but she didn't have room to flap her bat wings, so she kept falling down.**

**"Zeus will destroy you!" she promised. "Hades will have your soul!"**

"And Poseidon will be pissed at both of his brothers," Apollo snorted.

**_"Braccas meas vescimini!"_ I yelled.**

Jason choked on his laughter, doubling up in his attempt to breathe.

"That's so stupid!" He laughed.

**I wasn't sure where the Latin came from. **

**I think it meant "Eat my pants!"**

The demigods joined Jason in his laughter.

"That's such a stupid insult," Leo agreed, snickering.

"It would've been funnier if he had said: _Te odeo, interfice te cochleare._" Jason remarked, chuckling still.

"Why, what does that mean?" Piper asked,as some of the gods were now forced to stifle their own laughter.

"I hate you, kill yourself with a spoon," Jason replied, perfectly straight-faced.

It was a good few minutes before the room had calmed enough for Hestia to read.

**Thunder shook the bus.**

Poseidon hissed angrily, glaring at his brother.

**The hair rose on the back of my neck.**

**"Get out!" Annabeth yelled at me. "Now!" I didn't need any encouragement.**

**We rushed outside and found the other passengers wandering around in a daze, arguing with the driver, or running around in circles yelling, "We're going to die!" A Hawaiian-shirted tourist with a camera snapped my photograph before I could recap my sword.**

Piper groaned. "Oh, that's going to come back around to bite you."

**"Our bags!" Grover realized. "We left our—"**

_**BOOOOOM!**_

"Too late now," Dionysus scoffed.

**The windows of the bus exploded as the passengers ran for cover. Lightning shredded a huge crater in the roof, but an angry wail from inside told me Mrs. Dodds was not yet dead.**

**"Run!" Annabeth said. "She's calling for reinforcements! We have to get out of here!"**

The demigods winced.

**We plunged into the woods as the rain poured down, the bus in flames behind us, and nothing but darkness ahead.**

"And that's the chapter," Hestia said.

"Good," Hera replied. "I'll show the demigods to their rooms..."

Annabeth and Thalia exchanged glances before getting up and following the Queen of the Gods out of the room.

* * *

_Perite:_ Latin for 'fuck off'.

Okay, so a bit of Annabeth bashing in this chapter. Don't get me wrong, I do like Annabeth, but the way she treated Percy in the beginning of the Lightning Thief just really irked me. If you read that paragraph about the fountain versus the olive tree, it's almost entirely underhanded. Annabeth says things like 'some stupid saltwater spring' and 'the people saw that her gift was better', it's so antagonistic that it just... gets under my skin. I actually admire the way that Percy takes it, turning it into a joke and whatnot even though Annabeth was, basically, insulting his father.

What else to say... We do see a bit of Athena-Poseidon rivalry going on here, I'm not entirely happy with the way it came out, but that's out the writing insisted it go.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	12. Chapter 12

Having been so focused on reading the _Lightning Thief _not one of the demigods had realized when the time had slipped passed ten in the evening. Thus, when Hera led them into the guest wing (though why they had a guest wing, no one knew) all five had been eager to pick a room and dropped onto a bed. Hera had invited them to choose a room before disappearing back down the hall. Leo left first, yawning a goodnight before stumbling into the closest room. Annabeth disappeared next, with Thalia right behind her. Only Jason and Piper remained in the hall.

"So..." Piper smiled nervously.

"So," Jason repeated, sliding one arm around Piper's waist.

Piper smiled at him truly, her tension disappearing as her hands slipped around the nape of his neck, playing with the short hairs there. Jason grinned at her and pulled her close, bending his head to press a warm kiss to her mouth. Piper sighed into the kiss as he deepened it cautiously. She broke off first, biting her lip as she smiled up at him.

"Um, goodnight," she told him before slipping off to her room.

"Night," he replied as her door quietly shut. With a small smile on his mouth, Jason entered his own room, ready to flop onto his bed.

Meanwhile, Annabeth was sitting on the large queen-sized bed inside of her room. She had stripped off her jeans and shoes, and was clutching Percy's blue sweater to her chest. With all of this reading about Percy, Annabeth's heart was aching. She missed him. Annabeth remembered how her heart had practically stopped beating that day that she had walked into Percy's cabin and hadn't found him. It took three hours of frantic searching, before she realized that Percy was _genuinely_ missing. She only dimly remember going stone-still and rigidly walking back to his cabin, upon slipping inside she had stolen his favourite blue zip-up from his closet and put it on. Her half-brother, Malcolm, had been the one to find her an hour later, dead asleep and curled up in Percy's bed, wearing his sweater with tear marks on her face.

Annabeth made a frustrated noise and fell back against the bed, frustrated tears leaking out of her eyes for what felt like the thousandth time. It angered her, on some level, to know that she depended on Percy so much. But at the same time, she couldn't bring herself to get too upset about it. Percy was an honest and kind guy, a genuine one. It worried her, somewhat, as to what her mother's reaction was going to be. In her time, her mother had come to accept it (however grudgingly), but in this one, she wasn't so sure.

"Stop it, Annabeth," she told herself. "He's Percy; he'll be _fine_."

She had repeated the words continuously since they had found out that Percy had been taken. Still, they had yet to give her the same type of comfort as Percy being alive and in front of her would. Sighing, Annabeth crawled under the covers and flipped off the lights, ready to just... _forget_ for a few hours.

The next day dawned too bright and too early in near all the demigod's opinions. Except for Jason, because that kid was crazy and, apparently, a morning person. Each demigod had found new clothes folded, clean, and gently placed on the ends of their beds for them to wear and a note directing them to a sun room where they would be having breakfast.

When they met up, they found Thalia already there; wearing black skinny jeans with knee-high electric blue converse (oddly enough, the converse insignia had been switched out from a star to a lightning bolt). She wore a black camisole underneath a purple off-the-shoulder t-shirt.

"Hey Thals," Jason said cheerily as they all chose seats at the table near the window.

"You are way too perky in the morning," Thalia scowled at him.

Jason had been outfitted in slim-fit grey jeans and hi-top converse with the same design as his sister's. His shirt was white with black silhouettes, one of a man falling, and another of superman flying up to catch him. A dark purple zip-up hoodie was over top of this, though Jason had shoved the sleeves up to his elbows.

They were half-way through eating their breakfast when Leo broke the silence.

"So, the good news about being stuck here is that I've managed to figure out how to amp up the propulsion on the flying jets," Leo said as he tore into the bacon on his plate, "the bad news is I won't be able to see if it's totally foolproof until I've tried it on the _Argo II_."

Leo had gotten black skinny jeans with regular red converse. His shirt was dark green with the words: I'm not Crazy, my Mother had me Tested. His tool-belt was at his waist and black leather fingerless gloves covered his hands.

"Will we be able to take off?" Annabeth asked him worriedly, unlike the others, she only had a cup of black coffee in front of her and a small plate of fruit. "I want to ask you beforehand, but..."

Annabeth was wearing a loose pair of jeans with her regular running shoes, her knife openly displayed at her waist. Her shirt consisted of a white spaghetti-strap shirt underneath an orange v-neck shirt. Percy's blue sweater was over top of this; though Annabeth was not a tiny girl, being fairly tall and leanly muscled, Percy's sweater was still at least three sizes too big for her.

Leo shrugged. "I was in the middle of running the final dry tests when we got tossed here."

"Come on, Leo," Piper said, cutting into her pancakes, "you must have _some_ idea as to whether or not it'll fly."

Piper had been given black leggings with low blue converse. A powder blue hoodie-dress fell to mid-thigh with a white, cropped jacket over top. Her own dagger, Katoptris, was also openly displayed on her hip.

"She," Annabeth corrected absentmindedly. "Ships are called 'she'."

"Right," Piper shrugged before turning back to Leo. "So?"

"Barring something crazy popping up on the tests; I've done all I can," Leo replied grimly. "If the _Argo II _doesn't fly by now, she ain't going to."

"Cheery," Thalia sighed.

"Well, when everyone's ready, we ought to head back to the reading room." Annabeth sighed dubiously, cradling her coffee mug in her hands.

"Agreed," Piper nodded, brushing her hair out of her face.

Thirty minutes later found the five demigods winding their ways through the halls of Olympus carefully. Annabeth and Thalia held a fresh mugs of coffee in their hands, while Piper carried a mug of tea. Finding their way back into the dome room, the five found Hermes the only one in the room.

"Morning," he greeted cheerily.

"Did you sort out... whatever it was?" Piper asked him timidly as they took their places on the couch.

"Sure did," Hermes nodded. "It was a bit of a pain, but nothing I couldn't handle."

"What happened?" Piper asked.

Hermes' smile held a hint of something dangerous to it. "Don't worry about it, kid."

"Hermes! You're back!" Apollo announced cheerfully as he bounced into the room.

"Nope, I'm an illusion," he retorted with a snicker.

As if Apollo had opened the floodgates, the other Olympians began to stream into the room continuously. It was only when Zeus finally strode into the room that Athena made the five books reappear on the coffee table.

"Now that we have all been well rested, who shall read?" Athena asked.

"I'll do it," Hephaestus grunted. Taking the book, he opened it and read the title: "Chapter eleven: We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium."

* * *

Ah, Jiper fluff and Percabeth angst, isn't it great?

So, some people have asked me about Percy and here's my reply: Yes! He will be showing up! BUT don't expect him until late book two-early book three.

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	13. Chapter 13

**We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium**

"Sounds classy," Leo sniggered; Annabeth shushed him.

**In a way, it's nice to know there are Greek gods out there, because you have somebody to blame when things go wrong.**

"And in this case, kid, you've got two of the biggest gods on your ass," Apollo snorted.

"Twin, watch your language," Artemis scolded.

"Oh, my apologies. Would you prefer I cuss in ancient Greek or Latin?" Apollo replied innocently. An arrow came flying out of nowhere to embed itself between Apollo's opened legs. "Ah," Apollo's voice cracked somewhat, "I see your, er, point."

Hermes looked over casually before looking back at his phone. "I don't. It's embedded in the upholstery... nice shot, by the way."

Artemis smirked as Apollo gave Hermes a glare.

**For instance, when you're walking away from a bus that's just been attacked by monster hags and blown up by lightning, and it's raining on top of everything else, most people might think that's just really bad luck; when you're a half-blood, you understand that some divine force really is trying to mess up your day.**

"In this case, two incredibly childish uncles," Poseidon scoffed, glaring at his brothers.

"It has yet to happen, Poseidon," Hades told him with a roll of his eyes.

**So there we were, Annabeth and Grover and I, walking through the woods along the New Jersey riverbank, the glow of New York City making the night sky yellow behind us, and the smell of the Hudson reeking in our noses.**

Poseidon shook his head at this mention. "Humans; always spoiling my waters," he muttered.

**Grover was shivering and braying, his big goat eyes turned slit-pupiled and full of terror. "Three Kindly Ones. All three at once."**

"Why is he panicking?" Thalia grumbled. "He already saw this happen with me."

"I'm pretty sure that Grover attempted to block those memories," Annabeth muttered. "They weren't exactly... pleasant."

**I was pretty much in shock myself. The explosion of bus windows still rang in my ears. But Annabeth kept pulling us along, saying: "Come on! The farther away we get, the better."**

Athena nodded approvingly.

**"All our money was back there," I reminded her. "Our food and clothes. Everything."**

"Oh, crap, forgot about that," Leo shook his head. "Bad situation."

"Understatement."

**"Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight—"**

"Really?" Apollo asked dryly. "You're going to blame _him_ for this?"

Annabeth flushed and hid her face behind her coffee mug.

**"What did you want me to do? Let you get killed?"**

**"You didn't need to protect me, Percy. I would've been fine."**

Aphrodite cooed. "Tell me, Annabeth; is Percy the type to protect you?"

"Percy's incredibly loyal," Annabeth replied offhandedly, as if the answer was unimportant. "He'd do that for anyone of his friends."

"But you most of all," Thalia muttered, causing Annabeth to nudge her.

**"Sliced like sandwich bread," Grover put in, "but fine."**

**"Shut up, goat boy," said Annabeth.**

The room chuckled.

**Grover brayed mournfully. "Tin cans ... a perfectly good bag of tin cans."**

**We sloshed across mushy ground, through nasty twisted trees that smelled like sour laundry.**

Dionysus and Demeter both looked irritated at this.

**After a few minutes, Annabeth fell into line next to me. "Look, I..." Her voice faltered. "I appreciate your coming back for us, okay? That was really brave."**

Aphrodite squealed and Ares rolled his eyes.

**"We're a team, right?"**

**She was silent for a few more steps. "It's just that if you died ... aside from the fact that it would really suck for you, it would mean the quest was over. This may be my only chance to see the real world."**

"Your priorities are lovely, kid," Hermes chuckled.

"Were," Piper corrected.

"Were," Hermes agreed with a shrug.

**The thunderstorm had finally let up. The city glow faded behind us, leaving us in almost total darkness. I couldn't see anything of Annabeth except a glint of her blond hair.**

Aphrodite sighed dreamily, leaning against Ares' shoulder. The God of War merely snorted and wrapped an arm around her.

**"You haven't left Camp Half-Blood since you were seven?" I asked her.**

**"No ... only short field trips. My dad—"**

Athena looked intrigued, obviously curious to hear about her daughter's life.

**"The history professor."**

**"Yeah. It didn't work out for me living at home.**

Athena looked concerned at this. She had always been somewhat distracted when it came to her children; and she trusted her children's intelligence to protect them. But this combination meant that she didn't always keep a close eye on them, especially not before they were at the age to go questing.

**I mean, Camp Half-Blood _is _my home." She was rushing her words out now, as if she were afraid somebody might try to stop her. "At camp you train and train. And that's all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn whether you're any good or not."**

Athena shook her head. "It is not whether you are good or not, but why you are fighting."

Ares twitched violently. "Don't do that, Athena," he growled darkly. "You're going to-"

"My apologies," she replied immediately, knowing better than to push when it came to Mars versus Ares.

**If I didn't know better, I could've sworn I heard doubt in her voice.**

**"You're pretty good with that knife," I said.**

"He's so sweet, isn't he?" Aphrodite asked her boyfriend. "Even though the little girl has been so mean, Perseus has been nothing but sweet!"

"Yeah, he's a bloody rose," Ares rolled his eyes, still tense from Athena's prior comments.

**"You think so?"**

**"Anybody who can piggyback-ride a Fury is okay by me."**

"Anybody who can piggyback-ride a Fury _period_ is pretty awesome." Apollo grinned.

**I couldn't really see, but I thought she might've smiled.**

**"You know," she said, "maybe I should tell you ... Something funny back on the bus ..."**

**Whatever she wanted to say was interrupted by a shrill _toot-toot-toot, _like the sound of an owl being tortured.**

Athena raised a brow, obviously unimpressed by the analogy.

**"Hey, my reed pipes still work!" Grover cried. "If I could just remember a 'find path' song, we could get out of these woods!"**

Dionysus made an irritated sound.

**He puffed out a few notes, but the tune still sounded suspiciously like Hilary Duff. Instead of finding a path, I immediately slammed into a tree and got a nice-size knot on my head.**

The room snickered at Percy's misfortune.

**Add to the list of superpowers I did _not _have: infrared vision.**

"Says the boy who controls water," Thalia snorted, rolling her eyes. "I swear, he has more powers than I do!"

**After tripping and cursing and generally feeling miserable for another mile or so, I started to see light up ahead: the colours of a neon sign. I could smell food. Fried, greasy, excellent food.**

"Bit of an oxymoron," Artemis scoffed.

**I realized I hadn't eaten anything unhealthy since I'd arrived at Half-Blood Hill, where we lived on grapes, bread, cheese, and extra-lean-cut nymph-prepared barbecue. This boy needed a double cheeseburger.**

"New Yorkers," Apollo laughed.

**We kept walking until I saw a deserted two-lane road through the trees. On the other side was a closed-down gas station, a tattered billboard for a 1990s movie, and one open business, which was the source of the neon light and the good smell.**

**It wasn't a fast-food restaurant like I'd hoped. It was one of those weird roadside curio shops that sell lawn flamingos and wooden Indians and cement grizzly bears and stuff like that.**

Annabeth shook her head, looking grim as she curled up into a ball in her seat.

**The main building was a long, low warehouse, surrounded by acres of statuary. The neon sign above the gate was impossible for me to read, because if there's anything worse for my dyslexia than regular English, it's red cursive neon English.**

All the demigods groaned, looking irritated.

**To me, it looked like: _ATNYU MES GDERAN GOMEN MEPROUIM._**

**"What the heck does that say?" I asked.**

**"I don't know," Annabeth said. She loved reading so much; I'd forgotten she was dyslexic, too.**

"Oh snap, didn't even realize you _were_ dyslexic," Leo laughed in surprise. Annabeth smiled at him.

**Grover translated: "Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium."**

"And there's the title," Demeter hummed.

**Flanking the entrance, as advertised, were two cement garden gnomes, ugly bearded little runts, smiling and waving, as if they were about to get their picture taken. **

Annabeth blinked in surprise, sitting up a little straighter.

**I crossed the street, following the smell of the hamburgers.**

**"Hey ..." Grover warned.**

"You ought to listen to the satyr." Dionysus remarked, obviously bored.

"Because he has such an excellent track record," Zeus scoffed.

**"The lights are on inside," Annabeth said. "Maybe it's open."**

**"Snack bar," I said wistfully.**

**"Snack bar," she agreed.**

**"Are you two crazy?" Grover said. "This place is weird."**

"Although, in this case, he might just be right." Poseidon muttered low, his brow furrowing.

**We ignored him. The front lot was a forest of statues: cement animals, cement children, even a cement satyr playing the pipes, which gave Grover the creeps.**

**_"Bla-ha-ha!" _he bleated. "Looks like my Uncle Ferdinand!"**

Athena's head jerked ever so slightly, a confused frown on her face.

**We stopped at the warehouse door.**

**"Don't knock," Grover pleaded. "I smell monsters."**

**"Your nose is clogged up from the Furies," Annabeth told him.**

"I don't think it works like that," Hestia murmured.

**"All I smell is burgers. Aren't you hungry?"**

**"Meat!" he said scornfully. "I'm a vegetarian."**

**"You eat cheese enchiladas and aluminium cans," I reminded him.**

"I don't think that is on the same level," Apollo snorted.

**"Those are vegetables. Come on. Let's leave. These statues are ... looking at me."**

**Then the door creaked open, and standing in front of us was a tall Middle Eastern woman—at least, I assumed she was Middle Eastern, because she wore a long black gown that covered everything but her hands, and her head was completely veiled. Her eyes glinted behind a curtain of black gauze, but that was about all I could make out. Her coffee-coloured hands looked old, but well-manicured and elegant, so I imagined she was a grandmother who had once been a beautiful lady.**

**Her accent sounded vaguely Middle Eastern, too. She said, "Children, it is too late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?"**

"Sitting at the bottom of the ocean and flying about as an owl, why?" Hermes chuckled.

Athena and Poseidon both rolled their eyes.

**"They're ... um ..." Annabeth started to say.**

**"We're orphans," I said.**

**"Orphans?" the woman said. The word sounded alien in her mouth. "But, my dears! Surely not!"**

**"We got separated from our caravan," I said. "Our circus caravan.**

Apollo choked on his laughter, chuckling continuously. Hermes and Leo weren't much better.

**The ringmaster told us to meet him at the gas station if we got lost, but he may have forgotten, or maybe he meant a different gas station. Anyway, we're lost. Is that food I smell?"**

"Subtle," Hermes laughed.

**"Oh, my dears," the woman said. "You must come in, poor children. I am Aunty Em. Go straight through to the back of the warehouse, please. There is a dining area."**

**We thanked her and went inside.**

**Annabeth muttered to me, "Circus caravan?"**

**"Always have a strategy, right?"**

**"Your head is full of kelp."**

Thalia and Annabeth snorted in agreement.

**The warehouse was filled with more statues—people in all different poses, wearing all different outfits and with different expressions on their faces. I was thinking you'd have to have a pretty huge garden to fit even one of these statues, because they were all life-size.**

Athena sat up straight, looking incredibly concerned. _It couldn't be..._

**But mostly, I was thinking about food.**

**Go ahead, call me an idiot for walking into a strange lady's shop like that just because I was hungry, but I do impulsive stuff sometimes.**

"You get it from your father," Hera said simply. "All three of the brothers have that trait."

Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades exchanged wry looks.

**Plus, you've never smelled Aunty Em's burgers. The aroma was like laughing gas in the dentist's chair—it made everything else go away.**

Apollo sniggered at the analogy.

**I barely noticed Grover's nervous whimpers, or the way the statues' eyes seemed to follow me, or the fact that Aunty Em had locked the door behind us.**

"But he did notice," Artemis commented. "Must be the ADHD."

**All I cared about was finding the dining area. And sure enough, there it was at the back of the warehouse, a fast-food counter with a grill, a soda fountain, a pretzel heater, and a nacho cheese dispenser. Everything you could want, plus a few steel picnic tables out front.**

**"Please, sit down," Aunty Em said.**

**"Awesome," I said.**

**"Um," Grover said reluctantly, "we don't have any money, ma'am."**

**Before I could jab him in the ribs, Aunty Em said, "No, no, children. No money. This is a special case, yes? It is my treat, for such nice orphans."**

"My spidey senses are tingling," Leo said uneasily.

**"Thank you, ma'am," Annabeth said.**

**Aunty Em stiffened, as if Annabeth had done some thing wrong, but then the old woman relaxed just as quickly, so I figured it must've been my imagination.**

Athena shook her head, a worried frown pursing her mouth.

**"Quite all right, Annabeth," she said. "You have such beautiful grey eyes, child." Only later did I wonder how she knew Annabeth's name, even though we had never introduced ourselves.**

"There must be some sense of history there," Artemis murmured. "Perhaps an enemy of yours, Athena?"

"Perhaps," the wisdom goddess remarked slowly.

**Our hostess disappeared behind the snack counter and started cooking. Before we knew it, she'd brought us plastic trays heaped with double cheeseburgers, vanilla shakes, and XXL servings of French fries.**

**I was halfway through my burger before I remembered to breathe. Annabeth slurped her shake. Grover picked at the fries, and eyed the tray's waxed paper liner as if he might go for that, but he still looked too nervous to eat.**

"Ironic that the satyr is the only one with sense," Zeus scoffed.

Annabeth flushed and Athena glared at him. "Father," she hissed, "stop it."

**"What's that hissing noise?" he asked.**

_Hissing_, Athena mouthed the word, her brow creasing further. Suddenly, her eyes shot wide and she inhaled sharply.

"Athena?" Artemis questioned, frowning at her.

"Nothing; Hephaestus, please continue," she replied, her voice tight.

**I listened, but didn't hear anything. Annabeth shook her head.**

**"Hissing?" Aunty Em asked. "Perhaps you hear the deep-fryer oil. You have keen ears, Grover."**

**"I take vitamins. For my ears."**

**"That's admirable," she said. "But please, relax."**

**Aunty Em ate nothing. She hadn't taken off her head dress, even to cook, and now she sat forward and interlaced her fingers and watched us eat. It was a little unsettling, having someone stare at me when I couldn't see her face, but I was feeling satisfied after the burger, and a little sleepy, and I figured the least I could do was try to make small talk with our hostess.**

Hera nodded approvingly.

**"So, you sell gnomes," I said, trying to sound interested.**

**"Oh, yes," Aunty Em said. "And animals. And people. Anything for the garden. Custom orders. Statuary is very popular, you know."**

"I bet," Athena said darkly.

Annabeth looked curious. "Mom, have you-?"

"Yes," the goddess replied shortly.

**"A lot of business on this road?"**

**"Not so much, no. Since the highway was built... most cars, they do not go this way now. I must cherish every customer I get."**

**My neck tingled, as if somebody else was looking at me. I turned, but it was just a statue of a young girl holding an Easter basket. The detail was incredible, much better than you see in most garden statues. But something was wrong with her face. It looked as if she were startled, or even terrified.**

Athena's look darkened. The others now looked curious, wanting to know what it was that had made Athena so angry.

**"Ah," Aunty Em said sadly. "You notice some of my creations do not turn out well. They are marred. They do not sell. The face is the hardest to get right. Always the face."**

**"You make these statues yourself?" I asked.**

**"Oh, yes. Once upon a time, I had two sisters to help me in the business, but they have passed on, and Aunty Em is alone. I have only my statues. This is why I make them, you see. They are my company." The sadness in her voice sounded so deep and so real that I couldn't help feeling sorry for her.**

"His sympathy is admirable, but dangerous," Athena said quietly. "Twill get him killed, if he is not careful."

**Annabeth had stopped eating. She sat forward and said, "Two sisters?"**

**"It's a terrible story," Aunty Em said. "Not one for children, really. You see, Annabeth, a bad woman was jealous of me, long ago, when I was young. I had a... a boyfriend, you know,**

Athena scoffed loudly. _Boyfriend_, indeed.

**and this bad woman was determined to break us apart. She caused a terrible accident.**

Annabeth and Athena both looked irritated at this.

**My sisters stayed by me. They shared my bad fortune as long as they could, but eventually they passed on. They faded away. I alone have survived, but at a price. Such a price."**

**I wasn't sure what she meant, but I felt bad for her. My eyelids kept getting heavier, my full stomach making me sleepy. Poor old lady. Who would want to hurt somebody so nice?**

"Charmspeak," Aphrodite said, frowning. "This... 'Aunty Em' is charmspeaking him -far more than the other two at that. As if her entire focus is on him."

"What could she want with him?" Poseidon asked, a frown overcoming his face.

"It's not him she's focused on," Athena replied, cocking a brow at the sea god. "It's who he _looks_ like."

"You're saying that she's focused on him because he looks like me," Poseidon clarified. "But who-" understanding dawned in his eyes and he grimaced. "Ah."

"Indeed," Athena remarked dryly.

"Uh... what?" Apollo asked, looking confused. No one answered him.

**"Percy?" Annabeth was shaking me to get my attention. "Maybe we should go. I mean, the ringmaster will be waiting."**

**She sounded tense. I wasn't sure why. Grover was eating the waxed paper off the tray now, but if Aunty Em found that strange, she didn't say anything.**

**"Such beautiful grey eyes," Aunty Em told Annabeth again. "My, yes, it has been a long time since I've seen grey eyes like those."**

Athena stiffened and Annabeth frowned, taking a long dreg from her coffee.

**She reached out as if to stroke Annabeth's cheek, but Annabeth stood up abruptly. "We really should go."**

**"Yes!" Grover swallowed his waxed paper and stood up. "The ringmaster is waiting! Right!"**

**I didn't want to leave. I felt full and content. Aunty Em was so nice. I wanted to stay with her a while.**

"She doesn't want him to leave," Poseidon looked pained and angry.

"No," Athena agreed grimly. "Her ire may be on me, but -as they say- _hell hath no fury_."

"So, she may want to kill me because of you, Mom," Annabeth clarified, "but she wants to, what? _Keep _Percy?"

"He'd be the ultimate trophy," Poseidon grimaced. "And the ultimate payback."

"Not to quote Apollo or anything," Leo said, "but _what_ are you lot talking about?"

No one replied.

**"Please, dears," Aunty Em pleaded. "I so rarely get to be with children. Before you go, won't you at least sit for a pose?"**

**"A pose?" Annabeth asked warily.**

**"A photograph. I will use it to model a new statue set. Children are so popular, you see. Everyone loves children."**

Athena and Poseidon both glared at the book darkly.

**Annabeth shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I don't think we can, ma'am. Come on, Percy—"**

**"Sure we can," I said. I was irritated with Annabeth for being so bossy, so rude to an old lady who'd just fed us for free. "It's just a photo, Annabeth. What's the harm?"**

"Listen to her, Perseus," Poseidon urged.

**"Yes, Annabeth," the woman purred. "No harm."**

**I could tell Annabeth didn't like it, but she allowed Aunty Em to lead us back out the front door, into the garden of statues.**

**Aunty Em directed us to a park bench next to the stone satyr. "Now," she said, "I'll just position you correctly. The young girl in the middle, I think, and the two young gentlemen on either side."**

**"Not much light for a photo," I remarked.**

**"Oh, enough," Aunty Em said. "Enough for us to see each other, yes?"**

Athena's back was ramrod straight.

**"Where's your camera?" Grover asked.**

**Aunty Em stepped back, as if to admire the shot. "Now, the face is the most difficult. Can you smile for me please, everyone? A large smile?"**

**Grover glanced at the cement satyr next to him, and mumbled, "That sure does look like Uncle Ferdinand."**

"I bet it does," Poseidon said darkly.

**"Grover," Aunty Em chastised, "look this way, dear."**

**She still had no camera in her hands.**

**"Percy—" Annabeth said.**

**Some instinct warned me to listen to Annabeth, but I was fighting the sleepy feeling, the comfortable lull that came from the food and the old lady's voice.**

"His instincts are fighting against the charmspeak," Hades said, eyeing his brother and niece closely.

**"I will just be a moment," Aunty Em said. "You know, I can't see you very well in this cursed veil..."**

**"Percy, something's wrong," Annabeth insisted.**

**"Wrong?" Aunty Em said, reaching up to undo the wrap around her head. "Not at all, dear. I have such noble company tonight. What could be wrong?"**

**"That _is _Uncle Ferdinand!" Grover gasped.**

"Medusa?" Artemis said suddenly.

"Oh _Styx_!" Apollo hissed out, tension suddenly catapulting through the room as everyone realized just who Aunty Em was.

**"Look away from her!" Annabeth shouted. She whipped her Yankees cap onto her head and vanished. Her invisible hands pushed Grover and me both off the bench.**

**I was on the ground, looking at Aunt Em's sandaled feet. I could hear Grover scrambling off in one direction, Annabeth in another. But I was too dazed to move.**

"Side effect of charmspeak," surprisingly, it was Piper who said this, "when someone pours that much into it, it'll daze the recipient for a while."

"Well, Percy managed to pull it together eventually," Annabeth shook her head.

"Do you even realize how creepy this is?" Apollo asked, shaking his head. "Medusa is getting back at her ex-boyfriend by trying to turn his son into stone. But the entire time, she's _hitting_ on him."

"And this is any less creepy than you hitting on my hunters, how?" Artemis asked dryly, crossing her arms.

"Because I didn't get with you first," Apollo retorted.

Artemis just rolled her eyes.

**Then I heard a strange, rasping sound above me. My eyes rose to Aunty Em's hands, which had turned gnarled and warty, with sharp bronze talons for fingernails. I almost looked higher, but somewhere off to my left Annabeth screamed, "No! Don't!" More rasping—the sound of tiny snakes, right above me, from ... from about where Aunty Em's head would be.**

**"Run!" Grover bleated. I heard him racing across the gravel, yelling, _"Maia!"_**

Hermes muttered a curse. "_Maia,_" he repeated tiredly.

**to kick-start his flying sneakers.**

**I couldn't move. I stared at Aunty Em's gnarled claws, and tried to fight the groggy trance the old woman had put me in.**

Aphrodite gripped Ares' arm tightly. The God of War merely grunted and ignored it.

**"Such a pity to destroy a handsome young face," she told me soothingly. "Stay with me, Percy. All you have to do is look up."**

Poseidon listened to this grimly.

**I fought the urge to obey. Instead I looked to one side and saw one of those glass spheres people put in gardens— a gazing ball. I could see Aunty Em's dark reflection in the orange glass; her headdress was gone, revealing her face as a shimmering pale circle. Her hair was moving, writhing like serpents.**

**Aunty Em.**

**Aunty "M."**

**How could I have been so stupid?**

"Well, you were a little obtuse," Piper said, looking vaguely worried. "But you were also under a powerful charmspeak."

**Think, I told myself. How did Medusa die in the myth?**

**But I couldn't think. Something told me that in the myth Medusa had been asleep when she was attacked by my namesake, Perseus.**

"Ironic," Leo snorted.

"How is that ironic?" Piper asked him, giving him a weird look in the process.

"Well, not the fact that she was asleep, obviously."

"Obviously."

"But the fact that it was his namesake. A son of Zeus, named Perseus, killed her the first time. A son of Poseidon, named Perseus, killed her the latest. The first time; she didn't see it coming, the latest time; she practically went _looking_ for it. Just, you know, ironic."

**She wasn't anywhere near asleep now. If she wanted, she could take those talons right now and rake open my face.**

**"The Grey-Eyed One did this to me, Percy," Medusa said, and she didn't sound anything like a monster. Her voice invited me to look up, to sympathize with a poor old grandmother. "Annabeth's mother, the cursed Athena, turned me from a beautiful woman into this."**

"She was being disrespectful," Athena snapped. "And even had she not _desecrated_ my temple, she was still a vain girl."

"Er... I feel like I'm missing something," Leo muttered.

"The Tale of Medusa is that she was incredibly, painfully beautiful," Annabeth told him. "But with this beauty, came incredibly vanity. In the tales, it says that she once proclaimed that the temple of Athena ought to have been to her instead, because she was far prettier than Athena. Despite the fact that she was already an... accolade, of sorts, to Athena."

"Rude, much?" Leo snorted. Athena scoffed in reply.

Annabeth suppressed her smile as she continued. "In any case, it's said that this audacity and, of course, her beauty is what lead Poseidon to taking notice of her. Then, when Athena found them in her temple, she cursed Medusa and her two sisters to become gorgons."

"I have apologized for the temple," Poseidon remarked, turning sea-green eyes onto Athena. "I also insisted that she leave Medusa out of it."

Athena scowled at him. "You apologized offhandedly almost two centuries later."

Poseidon shrugged. "But I did apologize."

Athena scowled and rolled her eyes. "In any case, perhaps my reaction to Medusa was unwarranted. But we are gods, not perfect. Despite the latest fad in religion being that god and perfection are synonymous."

"Er... this 'fad' has been going on for thousands of years," Leo pointed out.

Athena gave him an irritated look. "And? How long did the reign of the Greek deities last? How long did the Egyptians? The Romans? How long did the Native American deities or the middle eastern? Do you really think that current religions will still be as popular in the next two thousand years? Four thousand? Just as the western power moves; from Greece, to Rome, to England, to America; so, too, does the religious aspect."

"Uh... right."

**"Don't listen to her!" Annabeth's voice shouted, some where in the statuary. "Run, Percy!"**

**"Silence!" Medusa snarled. Then her voice modulated back to a comforting purr. "You see why I must destroy the girl, Percy. She is my enemy's daughter. I shall crush her statue to dust. But you, dear Percy, you need not suffer."**

Poseidon glared at the book darkly.

**"No," I muttered. I tried to make my legs move.**

**"Do you really want to help the gods?" Medusa asked. "Do you understand what awaits you on this foolish quest, Percy? What will happen if you reach the Underworld? Do not be a pawn of the Olympians, my dear. You would be better off as a statue. Less pain. Less pain."**

The gods all paused at this. It was a painful thing to hear, especially with the amount of truth hidden behind it.

**"Percy!" Behind me, I heard a buzzing sound, like a two-hundred-pound hummingbird in a nosedive. Grover yelled, "Duck!"**

**I turned, and there he was in the night sky, flying in from twelve o'clock with his winged shoes fluttering, Grover, holding a tree branch the size of a baseball bat. His eyes were shut tight, his head twitched from side to side. He was navigating by ears and nose alone.**

Dionysus nodded gravely.

**"Duck!" he yelled again. "I'll get her!"**

**That finally jolted me into action. Knowing Grover, I was sure he'd miss Medusa and nail me. I dove to one side.**

The group snorted.

_**Thwack!**_

**At first I figured it was the sound of Grover hitting a tree. Then Medusa roared with rage.**

"Delayed reaction," Ares scoffed.

**"You miserable satyr," she snarled. "I'll add you to my collection!"**

**"That was for Uncle Ferdinand!" Grover yelled back.**

**I scrambled away and hid in the statuary while Grover swooped down for another pass.**

_**Ker-whack!**_

**"Arrgh!" Medusa yelled, her snake-hair hissing and spit ting.**

**Right next to me, Annabeth's voice said, "Percy!"**

**I jumped so high my feet nearly cleared a garden gnome. "Jeez! Don't do that!"**

"Jumpy much?" Apollo snickered.

**Annabeth took off her Yankees cap and became visible. 'You have to cut her head off."**

**"What? Are you crazy? Let's get out of here."**

**"Medusa is a menace. She's evil. I'd kill her myself, but..." Annabeth swallowed, as if she were about to make a difficult admission. "But you've got the better weapon. Besides, I'd never get close to her. She'd slice me to bits because of my mother. You—you've got a chance."**

Athena gave her daughter an approving look, and Annabeth couldn't help her pleased smile.

**"What? I can't—"**

**"Look, do you want her turning more innocent people into statues?"**

**She pointed to a pair of statue lovers, a man and a woman with their arms around each other, turned to stone by the monster.**

"This is going to be the first time he kills a monster with the intent to do so," Ares said suddenly. "Every other time was a reaction, not an action."

**Annabeth grabbed a green gazing ball from a nearby pedestal. "A polished shield would be better." She studied the sphere critically. "The convexity will cause some distortion. The reflection's size should be off by a factor of—"**

**"Would you speak English?"**

"Seriously, speak less, save Grover faster," Leo snorted, shaking his head. "We know you mean well, Annabeth, but really."

**"I _am!" _She tossed me the glass ball. "Just look at her in the glass. _Never _look at her directly."**

**"Hey, guys!" Grover yelled somewhere above us. "I think she's unconscious!"**

_**"Roooaaarrr!"**_

"Or not," Jason remarked wryly.

**"Maybe not," Grover corrected. He went in for another pass with the tree branch.**

**"Hurry," Annabeth told me. "Grover's got a great nose, but he'll eventually crash."**

**I took out my pen and uncapped it. The bronze blade of Riptide elongated in my hand. I followed the hissing and spitting sounds of Medusa's hair. I kept my eyes locked on the gazing ball so I would only glimpse Medusa's reflection, not the real thing. Then, in the green tinted glass, I saw her.**

Poseidon swallowed hard, his grip turning white-knuckled.

**Grover was coming in for another turn at bat, but this time he flew a little too low. Medusa grabbed the stick and pulled him off course. He tumbled through the air and crashed into the arms of a stone grizzly bear with a painful "Ummphh!"**

A number of people hissed or winced in sympathy.

**Medusa was about to lunge at him when I yelled, "Hey!"**

**I advanced on her, which wasn't easy, holding a sword and a glass ball. If she charged, I'd have a hard time defending myself.**

Poseidon exhaled slowly, forcing his body to relax and lean back in his chair.

**But she let me approach—twenty feet, ten feet.**

**I could see the reflection of her face now. Surely it wasn't really _that _ugly. The green swirls of the gazing ball must be distorting it, making it look worse.**

"Not good," Piper moaned.

**"You wouldn't harm an old woman, Percy," she crooned. "I know you wouldn't."**

**I hesitated,**

Ares cursed loudly, and he wasn't the only one who looked irritated.

**fascinated by the face I saw reflected in the glass—the eyes that seemed to burn straight through the green tint, making my arms go weak.**

**From the cement grizzly, Grover moaned, "Percy, don't listen to her!"**

**Medusa cackled. "Too late."**

Poseidon immediately tensed again.

**She lunged at me with her talons. I slashed up with my sword, heard a sickening _shlock!,_ then a hiss like wind rushing out of a cavern—the sound of a monster disintegrating. Something fell to the ground next to my foot. It took all my willpower not to look. I could feel warm ooze soaking into my sock, little dying snake heads tugging at my shoelaces.**

"Gross," Leo wrinkled his nose.

"Tell me something; do you have many evil ex-girlfriends, Poseidon?" Hermes asked innocently.

"Less than your father," Poseidon replied nonchalantly.

"Poseidon..." Zeus growled.

**"Oh, yuck," Grover said. His eyes were still tightly closed, but I guess he could hear the thing gurgling and steaming. "Mega-yuck."**

**Annabeth came up next to me, her eyes fixed on the sky. She was holding Medusa's black veil. She said, "Don't move."**

**Very, very carefully, without looking down, she knelt and draped the monster's head in black cloth, then picked it up. It was still dripping green juice.**

"Yum," Thalia remarked dryly.

**"Are you okay?" she asked me, her voice trembling.**

**"Yeah," I decided, though I felt like throwing up my double cheeseburger. "Why didn't ... why didn't the head evaporate?"**

**"Once you sever it, it becomes a spoil of war," she said. "Same as your minotaur horn. But don't unwrap the head. It can still petrify you."**

"Bitchy, even after death," Apollo snorted.

**Grover moaned as he climbed down from the grizzly statue. He had a big welt on his forehead. His green rasta cap hung from one of his little goat horns, and his fake feet had been knocked off his hooves. The magic sneakers were flying aimlessly around his head.**

**"The Red Baron," I said. "Good job, man."**

"Didn't figure he would know about a famous Ace flier," Thalia muttered.

**He managed a bashful grin. "That really was _not _fun, though. Well, the hitting-her-with-a-stick part, that was fun. But crashing into a concrete bear? _Not _fun."**

"Can't imagine it would be," Jason chuckled.

**He snatched his shoes out of the air. I recapped my sword. Together, the three of us stumbled back to the warehouse.**

**We found some old plastic grocery bags behind the snack counter and double-wrapped Medusa's head. We plopped it on the table where we'd eaten dinner and sat around it, too exhausted to speak.**

**Finally I said, "So we have Athena to thank for this monster?"**

Athena scoffed loudly and Annabeth rolled her eyes.

**Annabeth flashed me an irritated look. "Your dad, actually. Don't you remember? Medusa was Poseidon's girlfriend.**

Poseidon pinched the bridge of his nose.

**They decided to meet in my mother's temple. That's why Athena turned her into a monster. Medusa and her two sisters who had helped her get into the temple, they became the three gorgons. That's why Medusa wanted to slice me up, but she wanted to preserve you as a nice statue. She's still sweet on your dad. You probably reminded her of him."**

"Cre~epy," Apollo sang.

**My face was burning. "Oh, so now it's _my _fault we met Medusa."**

**Annabeth straightened. In a bad imitation of my voice, she said: "'It's just a photo, Annabeth. What's the harm?'"**

"He wasn't exactly in possession of his full mind," Piper pointed out.

"I... didn't actually know that at the time," Annabeth admitted, making a face.

"Fair enough."

**"Forget it," I said. "You're impossible."**

**"You're insufferable."**

**"You're—"**

"Flirting, how adorable," Aphrodite grinned.

**"Hey!" Grover interrupted. "You two are giving me a migraine, and satyrs don't even _get _migraines. What are we going to do with the head?"**

Annabeth snorted, pulling on the ends of the blue sweater. "Oh yes, I forgot about this."

"Forgot about what?" Hestia asked curiously.

"You'll see."

**I stared at the thing. One little snake was hanging out of a hole in the plastic. The words printed on the side of the bag said: WE APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS!**

**I was angry, not just with Annabeth or her mom, but with all the gods for this whole quest, for getting us blown off the road and in two major fights the very first day out from camp. At this rate, we'd never make it to L.A. alive, much less before the summer solstice.**

The gods were quiet at this.

"Sorry kid," Apollo sighed. "You just... drew the short straw."

**What had Medusa said?**

_**Do not be a pawn of the Olympians, my dear. You would be better off as a statue.**_

**I got up. "I'll be back."**

**"Percy," Annabeth called after me. "What are you—"**

"Impulsive idiot," Annabeth rolled her eyes.

**I searched the back of the warehouse until I found Medusa's office. Her account book showed her six most recent sales, all shipments to the Underworld to decorate Hades and Persephone's garden.**

Hades just gave a sharks grin at the looks he was getting.

**According to one freight bill, the Underworld's billing address was DOA Recording Studios, West Hollywood, California. I folded up the bill and stuffed it in my pocket.**

"Smart," Athena nodded. "Now they'll have the address."

**In the cash register I found twenty dollars, a few golden drachmas, and some packing slips for Hermes Overnight Express, each with a little leather bag attached for coins. I rummaged around the rest of the office until I found the right-size box.**

Hermes sat upright, curious as to what the Sea Prince was going to do.

**I went back to the picnic table, packed up Medusa's head, and filled out a delivery slip:**

_**The Gods**_

_**Mount Olympus**_

_**600th Floor,**_

_**Empire State Building**_

_**New York, NY**_

_**With best wishes,**_

_**PERCY JACKSON**_

Zeus spluttered as the others looked gob-smacked.

"He did that?" Jason asked, his eyes wide.

"He did," Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"_Nullo modo_," Apollo laughed disbelievingly. "This kid is bloody ballsy, isn't he?"

"Twin, please," Artemis rolled her eyes. "Cut back on the cussing."

**"They're not going to like that," Grover warned. "They'll think you're impertinent."**

"Understatement," Hermes laughed in surprise. "_Di immortales,_ kid!"

**I poured some golden drachmas in the pouch. As soon as I closed it, there was a sound like a cash register. The package floated off the table and disappeared with a _pop!_**

**"I _am _impertinent," I said.**

Poseidon roared with laughter, much to Zeus' irritation.

**I looked at Annabeth, daring her to criticize.**

**She didn't. She seemed resigned to the fact that I had a major talent for ticking off the gods.**

"That does not even _begin_ to cover it," Annabeth sighed, rolling her eyes.

**"Come on," she muttered. "We need a new plan."**

Hephaestus looked up and shrugged.

"I've got it," Hermes said, taking the book. "Alright, chapter twelve: We Get Advice from a Poodle."

* * *

_Nullo Modo_: Latin for 'no way'.

So, about that tale of Medusa. Due to it being Greek mythology, I couldn't find one typical story, so I kind of mashed a few together as I figured that the truth would be somewhere in-between.

In any case, hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	14. Chapter 14

**We Get Advice from a Poodle**

"Alright then," Leo snickered.

**We were pretty miserable that night.**

"Gee, I wonder why," Dionysus muttered sarcastically.

**We camped out in the woods, a hundred yards from the main road, in a marshy clearing that local kids had obviously been using for parties. The ground was littered with flattened soda cans and fast-food wrappers.**

Most of the gods looked incredibly irritated at this; Poseidon, Dionysus, Demeter, Hermes, and Artemis most of all.

**We'd taken some food and blankets from Aunty Em's, but we didn't dare light a fire to dry our damp clothes.**

"Now, if we had known about Percy's powers beforehand..." Annabeth huffed into her coffee mug.

**The Furies and Medusa had provided enough excitement for one day. We didn't want to attract anything else.**

"Yeah, that would be pretty bad," Jason said, shaking his head.

**We decided to sleep in shifts. I volunteered to take first watch. Annabeth curled up on the blankets and was snoring as soon as her head hit the ground. Grover fluttered with his flying shoes to the lowest bough of a tree, put his back to the trunk, and stared at the night sky.**

**"Go ahead and sleep," I told him. "I'll wake you if there's trouble."**

Aphrodite smiled.

**He nodded, but still didn't close his eyes. "It makes me sad, Percy."**

**"What does? The fact that you signed up for this stupid quest?"**

A number of people snorted at that.

**"No. This makes me sad." He pointed at all the garbage on the ground. "And the sky. You can't even see the stars. They've polluted the sky. This is a terrible time to be a satyr."**

"Humans always want to believe that they're _so_ far ahead," Dionysus scoffed into his diet coke. "And they only end up destroying."

"Percy hates it," Annabeth commented. "He didn't understand when he was younger but... after so much time spent in the water, especially as he says that it's the only place he can actually think, he finds it sickening."

"Do you remember that time that he doused the entirety of the Aphrodite cabin?" Thalia asked. "One of them dropped something into the canoeing lake, remember?"

"And he doused my children?" Aphrodite asked incredulously.

"The girl who dropped it said that it was just water, and who really cared." Annabeth replied dryly. "Said that in full hearing of the Sea Prince himself."

"He was _pissed_," Thalia cackled.

"Completely understandable," Poseidon said simply.

**"Oh, yeah. I guess you'd be an environmentalist."**

**He glared at me. "Only a human wouldn't be. Your species is clogging up the world so fast ... ah, never mind. It's useless to lecture a human.**

"Hey!" Piper protested. "That's unfair!"

"You're not human, Pipes," Leo pointed at her with his screwdriver. "You're a demigod."

"Not the point!"

**At the rate things are going, I'll never find Pan."**

**"Pam? Like the cooking spray?"**

Athena scoffed and rolled her eyes.

**"Pan!" he cried indignantly. "P-A-N. The great god Pan! What do you think I want a searcher's license for?"**

**A strange breeze rustled through the clearing, temporarily overpowering the stink of trash and muck. It brought the smell of berries and wildflowers and clean rain water, things that might've once been in these woods. Suddenly I was nostalgic for something I'd never known.**

The gods looked somewhat nostalgic themselves, and the demigods could only imagine.

**"Tell me about the search," I said.**

**Grover looked at me cautiously, as if he were afraid I was just making fun.**

"Not Percy," Thalia shook her head, "not about something so important to a friend."

**"The God of Wild Places disappeared two thousand years ago," he told me. "A sailor off the coast of Ephesos heard a mysterious voice crying out from the shore, 'Tell them that the great god Pan has died!'**

Annabeth's eyes took on a far-off quality.

**When humans heard the news, they believed it. They've been pillaging Pan's kingdom ever since.**

"Please," Dionysus scoffed, "they would've plundered far before that if they had but the means."

**But for the satyrs, Pan was our lord and master. He protected us and the wild places of the earth. We refuse to believe that he died. In every generation, the bravest satyrs pledge their lives to finding Pan. They search the earth, exploring all the wildest places, hoping to find where he is hidden, and wake him from his sleep."**

"An honourable task," Athena acknowledged.

"Very," Annabeth smiled sadly.

**"And you want to be a searcher."**

**"It's my life's dream," he said. "My father was a searcher. And my Uncle Ferdinand ... the statue you saw back there—"**

**"Oh, right, sorry."**

**Grover shook his head. "Uncle Ferdinand knew the risks. So did my dad. But I'll succeed. I'll be the first searcher to return alive."**

"None return...?" Piper trailed off, looking horrified. "That's terrible..."

**"Hang on—the first?"**

**Grover took his reed pipes out of his pocket. "No searcher has ever come back. Once they set out, they disappear. They're never seen alive again."**

"Maybe it's because of the last chapter, but isn't that what they said about the men who went to kill Medusa too?" Jason questioned.

"More or less," Annabeth replied.

"Then how do the stories come out?"

"What?"

"Well... if -in the original myths- everyone who had ever seen Medusa had been turned to stone; then how did Perseus, or anyone really, know that they would turn to stone if they looked at her?"

"...that... is an excellent question."

**"Not once in two thousand years?"**

**"No."**

**"And your dad? You have no idea what happened to him?"**

**"None."**

**"But you still want to go," I said, amazed. "I mean, you really think you'll be the one to find Pan?"**

**"I have to believe that, Percy. Every searcher does. It's the only thing that keeps us from despair when we look at what humans have done to the world. I have to believe Pan can still be awakened."**

"Stubborn..." Dionysus shook his head, but he seemed to be faintly proud too.

**I stared at the orange haze of the sky and tried to understand how Grover could pursue a dream that seemed so hopeless. Then again, was I any better?**

Athena nodded approvingly, obviously pleased with Percy's humility.

**"How are we going to get into the Underworld?" I asked him. "I mean, what chance do we have against a god?"**

Hades scoffed. "You don't."

"Trust me, Percy will surprise you," Annabeth responded dryly.

Hades gave her a dark look. "Is that a threat, girl?"

"No," she replied simply. "Merely the truth."

**"I don't know," he admitted. "But back at Medusa's, when you were searching her office? Annabeth was telling me—"**

**"Oh, I forgot. Annabeth will have a plan all figured out."**

"That's unfair of him," Jason shook his head.

Annabeth sighed. "It was unfair of him," she admitted, "but at the same time, there's only so many times you can burn someone before they react, right?"

"True," Jason inclined his head.

**"Don't be so hard on her, Percy. She's had a tough life, but she's a good person. After all, she forgave me..." His voice faltered.**

**"What do you mean?" I asked. "Forgave you for what?"**

Lightning flashed outside and Thalia sighed, tugging on a forelock of her hair.

**Suddenly, Grover seemed very interested in playing notes on his pipes.**

**"Wait a minute," I said. "Your first keeper job was five years ago. Annabeth has been at camp five years.**

"So, he does figure it out," Athena mused, "interesting."

**She wasn't ... I mean, your first assignment that went wrong—"**

**"I can't talk about it," Grover said, and his quivering lower lip suggested he'd start crying if I pressed him. "But as I was saying, back at Medusa's, Annabeth and I agreed there's something strange going on with this quest. Something isn't what it seems."**

"The Furies..." Artemis nodded at this; Athena looked like she agreed.

**"Well, duh. I'm getting blamed for stealing a thunder bolt that Hades took."**

**"That's not what I mean," Grover said. "The Fur—The Kindly Ones were sort of holding back. Like Mrs. Dodds at Yancy Academy ... why did she wait so long to try to kill you? Then on the bus, they just weren't as aggressive as they could've been."**

"Well, in the first one," Leo spoke, "she didn't know if Percy _was_ a demigod, did she? As the for the second? No clue."

"Thanks, Leo," Piper said dryly.

"Anytime," he replied cheerily.

**"They seemed plenty aggressive to me."**

**Grover shook his head. "They were screeching at us: 'Where is it? Where?'"**

**"Asking about me," I said.**

"Note to the world: Perseus Jackson is now an 'it'." Apollo declared with a snicker.

**"Maybe ... but Annabeth and I, we both got the feeling they weren't asking about a person. They said 'Where is it?' They seemed to be asking about an object."**

**"That doesn't make sense."**

**"I know. But if we've misunderstood something about this quest, and we only have nine days to find the master bolt..."**

"Unfortunately, however, you don't have time for errors," Poseidon said grimly.

**He looked at me like he was hoping for answers, but I didn't have any.**

**I thought about what Medusa had said: I was being used by the gods. What lay ahead of me was worse than petrification.**

The gods were solemn; no one disagreed with that assessment.

**"I haven't been straight with you," I told Grover. "I don't care about the master bolt. I agreed to go to the Underworld so I could bring back my mother."**

**Grover blew a soft note on his pipes. "I know that, Percy.**

"We both knew," Annabeth sighed. "It was... kind of obvious."

**But are you sure that's the only reason?"**

**"I'm not doing it to help my father.**

"And yet you immediately leap to him in this conversation," Aphrodite pointed out, cocking one elegant brow, "as though he were at the forefront of your mind."

**He doesn't care about me. I don't care about him."**

Poseidon's eyes turned stormy as he readjusted his grip on his trident, obviously pained by this.

**Grover gazed down from his tree branch. "Look, Percy, I'm not as smart as Annabeth.**

Annabeth smiled faintly.

**I'm not as brave as you. But I'm pretty good at reading emotions. You're glad your dad is alive. You feel good that he's claimed you, and part of you wants to make him proud. That's why you mailed Medusa's head to Olympus. You wanted him to notice what you'd done."**

"Kind of hard to miss, little cousin," Apollo chuckled quietly. "As far as gestures go, in any case."

**"Yeah? Well maybe satyr emotions work differently than human emotions. Because you're wrong. I don't care what he thinks."**

"He's becoming defensive," Hera murmured.

**Grover pulled his feet up onto the branch. "Okay, Percy. Whatever."**

**"Besides, I haven't done anything worth bragging about. We barely got out of New York and we're stuck here with no money and no way west."**

The room scoffed at that.

"Don't be stupid, kid," Hermes snorted. "You've done more than most demigods would ever do. And you've only been aware of all of this for, what? A few weeks?"

**Grover looked at the night sky, like he was thinking about that problem. "How about I take first watch, huh? You get some sleep."**

**I wanted to protest, but he started to play Mozart, soft and sweet, and I turned away, my eyes stinging. After a few bars of Piano Concerto no. 12, I was asleep.**

"He played a sleep song," Piper murmured.

**In my dreams, I stood in a dark cavern before a gaping pit.**

The gods exchanged glances, whilst the demigods looked grim.

**Gray mist creatures churned all around me, whispering rags of smoke that I somehow knew were the spirits of the dead. They tugged at my clothes, trying to pull me back, but I felt compelled to walk forward to the very edge of the chasm.**

"He is at Tartarus," Hades said stiffly, a dark frown on his face.

"Can it be...?" Hera murmured, her brow furrowing.

**Looking down made me dizzy.**

**The pit yawned so wide and was so completely black, I knew it must be bottomless. Yet I had a feeling that something was trying to rise from the abyss, something huge and evil.**

"Is our future really so dim?" Artemis asked, her voice little more than a whisper. Apollo reached out and gripped his twin's shoulder, looking grim and solemn.

**_The little hero,_ an amused voice echoed far down in the darkness. _Too weak, too young, but perhaps you will do._ The voice felt ancient—cold and heavy. It wrapped around me like sheets of lead. _They have misled you, boy,_ it said. _Barter with me. I will give you what you want._**

The gods stilled and the room fell silent.

**A shimmering image hovered over the void: my mother, frozen at the moment she'd dissolved in a shower of gold. Her face was distorted with pain, as if the Minotaur were still squeezing her neck. Her eyes looked directly at me, pleading: Go!**

Poseidon grit his teeth, looking as dangerous as the open ocean during a storm.

**I tried to cry out, but my voice wouldn't work.**

**Cold laughter echoed from the chasm.**

**An invisible force pulled me forward. It would drag me into the pit unless I stood firm.**

**_Help me rise, boy._ The voice became hungrier. _Bring me the bolt. Strike a blow against the treacherous gods!_**

Zeus' lips curled back in a silent snarl, electricity crackling through the air with his anger.

**The spirits of the dead whispered around me, _No! Wake!_**

"Listen to them, boy," Hades' voice was rough and cold.

**The image of my mother began to fade. The thing in the pit tightened its unseen grip around me. I realized it wasn't interested in pulling me in. It was using me to pull itself out.**

Poseidon sat ramrod straight, fear and fury battling for dominance in his eyes.

**_Good,_ it murmured. _Good._**

**_Wake!_ the dead whispered. _Wake!_**

**Someone was shaking me. My eyes opened, and it was daylight.**

**"Well," Annabeth said, "the zombie lives."**

It was like the entire room let out the collective breath it was holding.

"Are these... _regular_ dreams?" Poseidon asked after a moment, his voice tight.

"Regular demigod dreams, you mean?" Annabeth clarified, at his nod, she shook her head. "No. In this case, it was Kronos reaching out directly for Percy. Demigod dreams normally show you things of the past that would help you with your quest. Sometimes, they show you things of the future: where a person is hidden, the place of a weapon that will help et cetera."

"The children of the Big Three are naturally targeted for these other types of dreams," Thalia told them grimly. "Mine have tapered off since I became a huntress, but... they still seep through at times."

"Wonderful," Poseidon muttered.

**I was trembling from the dream. I could still feel the grip of the chasm monster around my chest.**

**"How long was I asleep?"**

**"Long enough for me to cook breakfast." Annabeth tossed me a bag of nacho-flavoured corn chips from Aunty Em's snack bar. "And Grover went exploring. Look, he found a friend."**

**My eyes had trouble focusing.**

"Gee, I wonder why," Leo mumbled as the tension slowly lightened in the room.

**Grover was sitting cross-legged on a blanket with something fuzzy in his lap, a dirty, unnaturally pink stuffed animal. No. It wasn't a stuffed animal. It was a pink poodle.**

**The poodle yapped at me suspiciously. Grover said, "No, he's not."**

"Did it read his mind, or something?" Hermes snorted. "I'm sorry, but... seriously."

**I blinked. "Are you ... talking to that thing?"**

**The poodle growled.**

**"This thing," Grover warned, "is our ticket west. Be nice to him."**

**"You can talk to animals?"**

"Well, duh," Dionysus scoffed.

**Grover ignored the question. "Percy, meet Gladiola. Gladiola, Percy."**

"Quite the name for such a... flamboyant little guy," Apollo snickered.

**I stared at Annabeth, figuring she'd crack up at this practical joke they were playing on me, but she looked deadly serious.**

**"I'm not saying hello to a pink poodle," I said. "Forget it."**

**"Percy," Annabeth said. "I said hello to the poodle. You say hello to the poodle."**

**The poodle growled.**

**I said hello to the poodle.**

The tension lifted as small chuckles broke out throughout the room.

**Grover explained that he'd come across Gladiola in the woods and they'd struck up a conversation. The poodle had run away from a rich local family, who'd posted a $200 reward for his return. Gladiola didn't really want to go back to his family, but he was willing to if it meant helping Grover.**

"That was kind of him," Piper admitted, fiddling with one of her braids.

**"How does Gladiola know about the reward?" I asked.**

**"He read the signs," Grover said. "Duh."**

**"Of course," I said. "Silly me."**

"Didn't know animals could read," Leo said thoughtfully, "huh, learn something new every day."

**"So we turn in Gladiola," Annabeth explained in her best strategy voice, "we get money, and we buy tickets to Los Angeles. Simple."**

**I thought about my dream—the whispering voices of the dead, the thing in the chasm, and my mother's face, shimmering as it dissolved into gold. All that might be waiting for me in the West.**

Poseidon swallowed hard, his brow furrowing.

**"Not another bus," I said warily.**

**"No," Annabeth agreed. She pointed downhill, toward train tracks I hadn't been able to see last night in the dark. "There's an Amtrak station half a mile that way. According to Gladiola, the west bound train leaves at noon."**

"Chapter's done," Hermes announced. "Next?"

"I've got it," Thalia offered, catching the book as it was thrown. "Chapter thirteen: I Plunge to my Death."

* * *

Reviews have been going silent. Sad face.

Ah well, as long as people are reading. Of course, I'd never turn down a review ;)

Hope you enjoyed!

~LT


	15. Chapter 15

**I Plunge to my Death**

Poseidon hissed out a breath, a frown marring his features.

**We spent two days on the Amtrak train, heading west through hills, over rivers, past amber waves of grain.**

**We weren't attacked once, but I didn't relax.**

"After what you've been through, I don't blame you," Jason snorted. "I'd be paranoid too."

**I felt that we were travelling around in a display case, being watched from above and maybe from below, that something was waiting for the right opportunity.**

The gods exchanged uneasy looks. Zeus looked downright forbidding.

**I tried to keep a low profile because my name and picture were splattered over the front pages of several East Coast newspapers. The _Trenton Register-News _showed a photo taken by a tourist as I got off the Greyhound bus. I had a wild look in my eyes. My sword was a metallic blur in my hands. It might've been a baseball bat or a lacrosse stick.**

"Does Percy play any sports?" Piper asked Annabeth suddenly. "You know... besides water stuff."

Annabeth chuckled. "A better question would be what _doesn't_ he play. Lacrosse, soccer, football, baseball, basketball... if anyone ever wants to pull a game together, they've just got to ask Percy and they'll have at least one player on their side."

"Percy likes the challenge, I think." Thalia grinned, "he also hates being stuck in one place, or doing something tedious."

**The picture's caption read:**

_**Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson, wanted for questioning in the Long Island disappearance of his mother two weeks ago, is shown here fleeing from the bus where he accosted several elderly female passengers.**_

"_Accosted_, yeah right," Leo snorted.

_**The bus exploded on an east New Jersey roadside shortly after Jackson fled the scene. Based on eyewitness accounts, police believe the boy may be travelling with two teenage accomplices.**_

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

**_His stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, has offered a __cash__ reward for information leading to his capture._**

**"Don't worry," Annabeth told me. "Mortal police could never find us." But she didn't sound so sure.**

"They could find you," Ares remarked offhandedly, "but that doesn't mean that they could keep you." There wasn't a doubt in anyone's mind as to what Ares was implying.

"For some reason, I'm not totally comfortable with that idea," Piper said uneasily. "It's one thing to kill monsters... but humans?" She shook her head.

Ares snorted. "If it's a couple of humans versus the entire world, what would you do?"

"Freak out?"

The god of war rolled his eyes.

**The rest of the day I spent alternately pacing the length of the train (because I had a really hard time sitting still)**

Annabeth gave Piper a _'you see?'_ look.

**or looking out the windows.**

**Once, I spotted a family of centaurs galloping across a wheat field, bows at the ready, as they hunted lunch. The little boy centaur, who was the size of a second-grader on a pony, caught my eye and waved.**

"Cool!" Leo said, grinning.

**I looked around the passenger car, but nobody else had noticed. The adult riders all had their faces buried in laptop computers or magazines.**

"Humans," Demeter scoffed. "So blind to the world around them."

For some reason, Jason got the feeling that she wasn't referring to just the centaurs.

**Another time, toward evening, I saw something huge moving through the woods. I could've sworn it was a lion, except that lions don't live wild in America, and this thing was the size of a Hummer. Its fur glinted gold in the evening light. Then it leaped through the trees and was gone.**

"The Nemean Lion, maybe?" Jason asked curiously.

"Maybe," Annabeth said slowly, "but... I don't think it was that big..."

**Our reward money for returning Gladiola the poodle had only been enough to purchase tickets as far as Denver. We couldn't get berths in the sleeper car, so we dozed in our seats. My neck got stiff. I tried not to drool in my sleep, since Annabeth was sitting right next to me.**

Annabeth smiled faintly and shook her head, looking amused.

**Grover kept snoring and bleating and waking me up. Once, he shuffled around and his fake foot fell off. Annabeth and I had to stick it back on before any of the other passengers noticed.**

Hermes snorted.

**"So," Annabeth asked me, once we'dgotten Grover's sneaker readjusted. "Who wants your help?"**

**"What do you mean?"**

**"When you were asleep just now, you mumbled, 'I won't help you.' Who were you dreaming about?"**

Immediately, tension rose in the room at the mention. Poseidon looked grim.

**I was reluctant to say anything. It was the second time I'd dreamed about the evil voice from the pit. But it bothered me so much I finally told her.**

Aphrodite had a smug smile on her face as she combed her hair.

**Annabeth was quiet for a long time. "That doesn't sound like Hades. He always appears on a black throne, and he never laughs."**

"Exactly," Hades said, a hint of a sulk in his voice.

**"He offered my mother in trade. Who else could do that?"**

"As flattering as this is," Hades drawled, still looking somewhat put-out, "I am not all-powerful."

"At least you can admit that much," Hera sniffed, giving her husband a pointed look (which he ignored).

**"I guess ... if he meant, 'Help me rise from the Underworld.' If he wants war with the Olympians. But why ask you to bring him the master bolt if he already has it?"**

Zeus rumbled low in his throat, his grip tightening around said bolt.

**I shook my head, wishing I knew the answer. I thought about what Grover had told me, that the Furies on the bus seemed to have been looking for something.**

_**Where is it? Where?**_

**Maybe Grover sensed my emotions. He snorted in his sleep, muttered something about vegetables, and turned his head.**

"Sounds deeper than just the typical read," Dionysus muttered, shaking his head.

"Pardon?" Piper asked, frowning.

"Ooh, a half-blood with manners," Dionysus snorted. "I'm talking about his empath read, it sounds too deep for just the typical."

"What are you suggesting?" Athena questioned, cocking a brow at him.

Dionysus rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you'll find out," he muttered in his pop can.

**Annabeth readjusted his cap so it covered his horns. "Percy, you can't barter with Hades. You know that, right? He's deceitful, heartless, and greedy.**

Annabeth coughed, her cheeks reddening. "My apologies, Lord Hades."

Hades rolled his eyes and waved her off.

**I don't care if his Kindly Ones weren't as aggressive this time—"**

**"This time?" I asked. "You mean you've run into them before?"**

Zeus' expression darkened dangerously and the air crackled dangerously. Thalia sighed and looked down at her hands.

**Her hand crept up to her necklace. She fingered a glazed white bead painted with the image of a pine tree,**

Thalia winced at the mention.

**one of her clay end-of-summer tokens. "Let's just say I've got no love for the Lord of the Dead. You can't be tempted to make a deal for your mom."**

**"What would you do if it was your dad?"**

**"That's easy," she said. "I'd leave him to rot."**

There was a general outburst of surprise at this declaration and Annabeth winced.

"I don't believe that _now_," she said, "but then... well..."

Athena gave her a sad look.

**"You're not serious?"**

**Annabeth's grey eyes fixed on me. She wore the same expression she'd worn in the woods at camp, the moment she drew her sword against the hellhound. "My dad's resented me since the day I was born, Percy," she said. "He never wanted a baby. When he got me, he asked Athena to take me back and raise me on Olympus because he was too busy with his work. She wasn't happy about that. She told him heroes had to be raised by their mortal parent."**

Jason and Thalia had blank expression on their faces, Leo's eyes were far away and pained, Piper was smiling faintly if sadly, and Annabeth just shook her head. The gods themselves looked grim, and more than a few shot Zeus irritated looks.

**"But how ... I mean, I guess you weren't born in a hospital..."**

**"I appeared on my father's doorstep, in a golden cradle, carried down from Olympus by Zephyr the West Wind. You'd think my dad would remember that as a miracle, right? Like, maybe he'd take some digital photos or something. But he always talked about my arrival as if it were the most inconvenient thing that had ever happened to him.**

Athena let out an irritated hiss, like a cat that had just had it's tail trod on.

**When I was five he got married and totally forgot about Athena. He got a 'regular' mortal wife, and had two 'regular' mortal kids, and tried to pretend I didn't exist."**

"And he's done a one-eighty from that?" Apollo asked skeptically. "Somehow, that's hard to believe."

Annabeth winced. "Remember, Apollo; I was a twelve year old with a grudge. I'm slightly biased."

"Probably," Apollo admitted with a shrug, "but you're a pretty smart kid. Perhaps you are biased, but no parent should make their kid feel like that."

Annabeth gave him a small smile.

**I stared out the train window. The lights of a sleeping town were drifting by. I wanted to make Annabeth feel better, but I didn't know how.**

"What a sweetheart!" Aphrodite cooed. "Oh, I'm going to have fun with this boy!"

"Aphrodite," Poseidon warned. She just huffed at him.

**"My mom married a really awful guy," I told her. "Grover said she did it to protect me, to hide me in the scent of a human family. Maybe that's what your dad was thinking."**

"Look at that!" She continued, looking triumphant. "It's quite obvious that this is not the case, yet he still tries. How sweet is that? Honestly."

"We get it, babe," Ares rolled his eyes, "you're half in lust with the kid."

Aphrodite pouted at him. "I am not! For one thing, he's only seven – he can call me up when he's sixteen or something. For another, Poseidon would be incredibly _annoyed_."

"Aphrodite, would you _please_ stop?" Hera asked, her voice slightly waspish.

"Hmph," Aphrodite huffed.

**Annabeth kept worrying at her necklace. She was pinching the gold college ring that hung with the beads. It occurred to me that the ring must be her father's. I wondered why she wore it if she hated him so much.**

"Possibly because she's much the same way about her father as you are with yours," Artemis stated, barely looking up from restringing her bow. "Despite their stand-offish natures, does not mean that you don't wish to make them proud."

**"He doesn't care about me," she said. "His wife—my stepmom—treated me like a freak. She wouldn't let me play with her children. My dad went along with her. Whenever something dangerous happened—you know, something with monsters—they would both look at me resentfully, like, 'How dare you put our family at risk.' Finally, I took the hint. I wasn't wanted. I ran away."**

Athena's expression slowly grew more and more murderous as the paragraph wore on.

**"How old were you?"**

**"Same age as when I started camp. Seven."**

**"But ... you couldn't have gotten all the way to Half-Blood Hill by yourself."**

"She could've," Thalia said, giving Annabeth a half-hug. "We just sped it up a touch."

Annabeth smiled at her.

**"Not alone, no. Athena watched over me, guided me toward help. I made a couple of unexpected friends who took care of me, for a short time, anyway."**

**I wanted to ask what happened, but Annabeth seemed lost in sad memories. So I listened to the sound of Grover snoring and gazed out the train windows as the dark fields of Ohio raced by.**

Athena looked rather sad by the end of this segment.

**Toward the end of our second day on the train, June 13, eight days before the summer solstice, we passed through some golden hills and over the Mississippi River into St. Louis. Annabeth craned her neck to see the Gateway Arch, which looked to me like a huge shopping bag handle stuck on the city.**

"Ah, right," Annabeth grimaced. "This part."

Poseidon could honestly say that he did _not_ like how this chapter was shaping up.

**"I want to do that," she sighed.**

**"What?" I asked.**

**"Build something like that. You ever see the Parthenon, Percy?"**

**"Only in pictures."**

**"Someday, I'm going to see it in person. I'm going to build the greatest monument to the gods, ever. Something that'll last a thousand years."**

"I believe you could," Athena said, giving her daughter a proud look. "I know you could."

Annabeth beamed at her mother.

**I laughed. "You? An architect?"**

Aphrodite rolled her eyes and shook her head as Athena gave the book a filthy look.

**I don't know why, but I found it funny. Just the idea of Annabeth trying to sit quietly and draw all day.**

"Oh," Annabeth laughed embarrassedly, "well, when he puts it like _that_..."

**Her cheeks flushed. **

**"Yes, an architect. Athena expects her children to create things, not just tear them down, like a certain god of earthquakes I could mention."**

Annabeth flushed. "I'm sorry, Lord Poseidon, I didn't mean it."

Poseidon just cocked a brow at her, looking faintly amused. "I would expect nothing less from a child of Athena."

"And that means _what_, exactly?" Athena snapped at him coldly.

"That you're prone to flying off the handle and become insulting when it comes to me," Poseidon told her dryly. The room couldn't help but snigger at the faint blush that covered Athena's face. He shook his head with a chuckle. "Don't worry about an insult, Annabeth. It was a valid point, after all."

**I watched the churning brown water of the Mississippi below.**

**"Sorry," Annabeth said. "That was mean."**

**"Can't we work together a little?" I pleaded. "I mean, didn't Athena and Poseidon ever cooperate?"**

"Very rarely," Poseidon remarked, lounging in his chair.

"There was the chariot," Athena pointed out slowly.

"Are you actually suggesting we work together, niece?" Poseidon asked her wryly. "That would be a first."

"Well, if you're going to be insulting," Athena replied dryly.

Poseidon chuckled. "Fair enough."

**Annabeth had to think about it. "I guess ... the chariot," she said tentatively. "My mom invented it, but Poseidon created horses out of the crests of waves. So they had to work together to make it complete."**

Athena nodded in agreement and Poseidon chuckled again.

**"Then we can cooperate, too. Right?"**

**We rode into the city, Annabeth watching as the Arch disappeared behind a hotel.**

**"I suppose," she said at last.**

"Way to sound enthusiastic, kid," Hermes snickered.

**We pulled into the Amtrak station downtown. The intercom told us we'd have a three-hour layover before departing for Denver.**

**Grover stretched. Before he was even fully awake, he said, "Food."**

Apollo, Leo, and Hermes all chortled at that.

**"Come on, goat boy," Annabeth said. "Sightseeing."**

**"Sightseeing?"**

**"The Gateway Arch," she said. "This may be my only chance to ride to the top. Are you coming or not?"**

**Grover and I exchanged looks. I wanted to say no, but I figured that if Annabeth was going, we couldn't very well let her go alone.**

Annabeth winced. "Great. That just makes what happened _worse_."

"Why?" Piper frowned. "What happened?"

"You'll see."

**Grover shrugged. "As long as there's a snack bar without monsters."**

**The Arch was about a mile from the train station. Late in the day the lines to get in weren't that long. We threaded our way through the underground museum, looking at covered wagons and other junk from the 1800s. It wasn't all that thrilling, but Annabeth kept telling us interesting facts about how the Arch was built, and Grover kept passing me jelly beans, so I was okay.**

Annabeth flushed but smiled faintly, obviously the memory was a fair one.

**I kept looking around, though, at the other people in line. "You smell anything?" I murmured to Grover.**

**He took his nose out of the jelly-bean bag long enough to sniff. "Underground," he said distastefully. "Underground air always smells like monsters. Probably doesn't mean anything."**

"Probably," Poseidon repeated flatly, running a hand through his hair.

**But something felt wrong to me. I had a feeling we shouldn't be here.**

"His instincts are reacting again," Athena commented.

**"Guys," I said. "You know the gods' symbols of power?"**

**Annabeth had been in the middle of reading about the construction equipment used to build the Arch, but she looked over. "Yeah?"**

**"Well, Hade—"**

**Grover cleared his throat. "We're in a public place... You mean, our friend downstairs?"**

Hades rolled his eyes as Apollo and Hermes snorted.

**"Um, right," I said. "Our friend _way _downstairs. Doesn't he have a hat like Annabeth's?"**

"A _hat_?" Hades spluttered.

"Sounds about right," Demeter told him bluntly, causing him to just sputter some more.

**"You mean the Helm of Darkness," Annabeth said. "Yeah, that's his symbol of power. I saw it next to his seat during the winter solstice council meeting."**

**"He was there?" I asked.**

**She nodded. "It's the only time he's allowed to visit Olympus—**

Hades scoffed at that.

**the darkest day of the year. But his helm is a lot more powerful than my invisibility hat,**

"I swear, they're doing this on purpose," he muttered crossly.

**if what I've heard is true..."**

**"It allows him to become darkness," Grover confirmed. "He can melt into shadow or pass through walls. He can't be touched, or seen, or heard. And he can radiate fear so intense it can drive you insane or stop your heart. Why do you think all rational creatures fear the dark?"**

"Hey, Thalia, Jason," Leo said suddenly, "so, Percy isn't allowed to fly, right? And you two aren't all that fond of swimming... do either of you have a thing against the darkness?"

Thalia frowned thoughtfully. "I naturally don't like being underground... and I don't think Percy cares much for it either. But I'm not sure beyond that..."

"So, it's only my dear husband that is refusing children of the other two into his realm," Hera remarked bluntly, "what a surprise."

Hades and Poseidon snorted as Zeus glared at her.

**"But then ... how do we know he's not here right now, watching us?" I asked.**

**Annabeth and Grover exchanged looks.**

**"We don't," Grover said.**

**"Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better," I said. "Got any blue jelly beans left?"**

"When in doubt, jelly beans," Leo laughed.

**I'd almost mastered my jumpy nerves when I saw the tiny little elevator car we were going to ride to the top of the Arch, and I knew I was in trouble. I hate confined places. They make me nuts.**

The demigods grimaced in agreement.

**We got shoehorned into the car with this big fat lady and her dog, a Chihuahua with a rhinestone collar. I figured maybe the dog was a seeing-eye Chihuahua, because none of the guards said a word about it.**

Not one person looked like they agreed with that assessment.

**We started going up, inside the Arch. I'd never been in an elevator that went in a curve, and my stomach wasn't too happy about it.**

**"No parents?" the fat lady asked us.**

**She had beady eyes; pointy, coffee-stained teeth; a floppy denim hat, and a denim dress that bulged so much, she looked like a blue-jean blimp.**

**"They're below," Annabeth told her. "Scared of heights."**

"Terrified," Poseidon remarked dryly.

"As you should be, brother," Zeus retorted, Poseidon just rolled his eyes.

**"Oh, the poor darlings." The Chihuahua growled. The woman said, "Now, now, sonny. Behave." The dog had beady eyes like its owner, intelligent and vicious.**

**I said, "Sonny. Is that his name?"**

**"No," the lady told me.**

**She smiled, as if that cleared everything up.**

"It didn't, but you know," Leo snorted.

**At the top of the Arch, the observation deck reminded me of a tin can with carpeting. Rows of tiny windows looked out over the city on one side and the river on the other. The view was okay, but if there's anything I like less than a confined space, it's a confined space six hundred feet in the air.**

"I wonder why," Hades remarked loftily, his words practically dripping with sarcasm.

**I was ready to go pretty quick.**

Thalia looked like she agreed, though Jason looked rather wistful.

**Annabeth kept talking about structural supports, and how she would've made the windows bigger, and designed a see-through floor.**

Athena looked both amused and proud of her daughter.

**She probably could've stayed up there for hours, but luckily for me the park ranger announced that the observation deck would be closing in a few minutes.**

**I steered Grover and Annabeth toward the exit, loaded them into the elevator, and I was about to get in myself when I realized there were already two other tourists inside. No room for me.**

Poseidon shifted in his seat, sitting up straight.

**The park ranger said, "Next car, sir."**

**"We'll get out," Annabeth said. "We'll wait with you."**

**But that was going to mess everybody up and take even more time, so I said, "Naw, it's okay. I'll see you guys at the bottom."**

"Not a good idea," Artemis sighed, shaking her head.

**Grover and Annabeth both looked nervous, but they let the elevator door slide shut. Their car disappeared down the ramp.**

**Now the only people left on the observation deck were me, a little boy with his parents, the park ranger, and the fat lady with her Chihuahua. I smiled uneasily at the fat lady. She smiled back, her forked tongue flickering between her teeth.**

"Forked?" Athena stilled, listening carefully.

**Wait a minute.**

**Forked tongue?**

**Before I could decide if I'd really seen that, her Chihuahua jumped down and started yapping at me.**

**"Now, now, sonny," the lady said. "Does this look like a good time? We have all these nice people here."**

"Listen to the -uh- crazy lady." Leo said warily.

**"Doggie!" said the little boy. "Look, a doggie!"**

**His parents pulled him back. The Chihuahua bared his teeth at me, foam dripping from his black lips.**

**"Well, son," the fat lady sighed. "If you insist."**

**Ice started forming in my stomach. "Urn, did you just call that Chihuahua your son?"**

_**"Chimera,**_

Poseidon's brow furrowed and the muscles in his arms tensed. The rest of the room now looked wary.

**dear," the fat lady corrected. "Not a Chihuahua. It's an easy mistake to make."**

**She rolled up her denim sleeves, revealing that the skin of her arms was scaly and green. When she smiled, I saw that her teeth were fangs. The pupils of her eyes were sideways slits, like a reptile's.**

**The Chihuahua barked louder, and with each bark, it grew. First to the size of a Doberman, then to a lion. The bark became a roar.**

"Holy crap!" Leo gaped, his eyes wide and the pieces of metal in his hands went forgotten. "Jeez, Percy just has crap luck, doesn't he?"

"Understatement," Thalia muttered.

**The little boy screamed. His parents pulled him back toward the exit, straight into the park ranger, who stood, paralysed, gaping at the monster.**

**The Chimera was now so tall its back rubbed against the roof. It had the head of a lion with a blood-caked mane,**

"That cannot be good for it," Artemis frowned.

"Sister, priorities," Apollo snorted.

Artemis rolled her eyes at him.

**the body and hooves of a giant goat, and a serpent for a tail, a ten-foot-long diamondback growing right out of its shaggy behind. The rhinestone dog collar still hung around its neck, and the plate-sized dog tag was now easy to read: CHIMERA—RABID, FIRE-BREATHING, POISONOUS—IF FOUND, PLEASE CALL TARTARUS—EXT. 954.**

"Oh, so _that's_ the extension," Hermes remarked looking slightly irked. "Now, I won't have to go through bloody _Charon_."

Hades just shrugged and ignored him.

**I realized I hadn't even uncapped my sword. My hands were numb. I was ten feet away from the Chimera's bloody maw, and I knew that as soon as I moved, the creature would lunge.**

**The snake lady made a hissing noise that might've been laughter. "Be honoured, Percy Jackson. Lord Zeus rarely allows me to test a hero with one of my brood.**

Poseidon shot his brother a filthy look, his eyes as dark and cold as the ocean depths.

**For I am the Mother of Monsters, the terrible Echidna!"**

**I stared at her. All I could think to say was: "Isn't that a kind of anteater?"**

Apollo choked on a laugh, shaking his head. "I like this guy!"

**She howled, her reptilian face turning brown and green with rage. "I hate it when people say that! I hate Australia! Naming that ridiculous animal after me. For that, Percy Jackson, my son shall destroy you!"**

"Way to go, Seaweed brain," Annabeth rolled her eyes as she muttered this.

**The Chimera charged, its lion teeth gnashing. I managed to leap aside and dodge the bite. I ended up next to the family and the park ranger, who were all screaming now, trying to pry open the emergency exit doors.**

**I couldn't let them get hurt.**

"A natural hero," Hestia smiled, impressed.

**I uncapped my sword, ran to the other side of the deck, and yelled, "Hey, Chihuahua!" The Chimera turned faster than I would've thought possible.**

**Before I could swing my sword, it opened its mouth, emitting a stench like the world's largest barbecue pit, and shot a column of flame straight at me.**

"Oh, not cool," Leo shook his head.

**I dove through the explosion. The carpet burst into flames; the heat was so intense, it nearly seared off my eyebrows.**

**Where I had been standing a moment before was a ragged hole in the side of the Arch, with melted metal steaming around the edges.**

**Great, I thought. We just blowtorched a national monument.**

"You need to sort out your priorities too, kid," Apollo chuckled.

**Riptide was now a shining bronze blade in my hands, and as the Chimera turned, I slashed at its neck.**

**That was my fatal mistake.**

Poseidon's jaw tensed.

**The blade sparked harmlessly off the dog collar. I tried to regain my balance, but I was so worried about defending myself against the fiery lion's mouth, I completely forgot about the serpent tail until it whipped around and sank its fangs into my calf.**

The water in the room began to bubble and broil, Dionysus had a sour look on his face as he was forced to put his diet coke down.

**My whole leg was on fire. I tried to jab Riptide into the Chimera's mouth, but the serpent tail wrapped around my ankles and pulled me off balance, and my blade flew out of my hand, spinning out of the hole in the Arch and down toward the Mississippi River.**

"No." Poseidon murmured, his grip tight on the arms to his chair. The tension in the room climbed as they listened to Percy's dangerous situation.

**I managed to get to my feet, but I knew I had lost. I was weaponless. I could feel deadly poison racing up to my chest. I remembered Chiron saying that Anaklusmos would always return to me, but there was no pen in my pocket. Maybe it had fallen too far away. Maybe it only returned when it was in pen form.**

"It will only return in pen form, and it doesn't matter how far it goes, it will always come back," Poseidon murmured under his breath, not really paying attention to what he was saying.

**I didn't know, and I wasn't going to live long enough to figure it out.**

Annabeth flinched.

**I backed into the hole in the wall. The Chimera advanced, growling, smoke curling from its lips. The snake lady, Echidna, cackled. "They don't make heroes like they used to, eh, son?"**

"No, they make them better," Piper muttered defiantly. Jason gave her a grin, wrapping his arm around her shoulders in a half-hug.

**The monster growled. It seemed in no hurry to finish me off now that I was beaten.**

**I glanced at the park ranger and the family. The little boy was hiding behind his father's legs. I had to protect these people. I couldn't just ... die.**

Hestia smiled.

**I tried to think, but my whole body was on fire. My head felt dizzy. I had no sword. I was facing a massive, fire-breathing monster and its mother. And I was scared.**

**There was no place else to go, so I stepped to the edge of the hole. Far, far below, the river glittered.**

"Jump, Percy," Poseidon mumbled, his sea-green eyes almost black with worry.

**If I died, would the monsters go away? Would they leave the humans alone?**

**"If you are the son of Poseidon," Echidna hissed, "you would not fear water. Jump, Percy Jackson. Show me that water will not harm you. Jump and retrieve your sword. Prove your bloodline."**

"Oh gods, he'd go splat from that distance!" Leo spluttered.

"No, he won't," Poseidon said, his voice rough. "Read, Thalia."

**Yeah, right, I thought. I'd read somewhere that jumping into water from a couple of stories up was like jumping onto solid asphalt. From here, I'd splatter on impact.**

**The Chimera's mouth glowed red, heating up for another blast.**

**"You have no faith," Echidna told me. "You do not trust the gods. I cannot blame you, little coward. Better you die now. The gods are faithless. The poison is in your heart."**

The gods all grew dark at that remark; Zeus, in particular, looked furious.

**She was right: I was dying. I could feel my breath slowing down. Nobody could save me, not even the gods.**

"Jump, Percy," Poseidon urged.

**I backed up and looked down at the water. I remembered the warm glow of my father's smile when I was a baby. He must have seen me. He must have visited me when I was in my cradle. I remembered the swirling green trident that had appeared above my head the night of capture the flag, when Poseidon had claimed me as his son.**

**But this wasn't the sea. This was the Mississippi, dead centre of the USA. There was no Sea God here.**

"I am in all water, now jump," Poseidon repeated, a touch of urgency now lacing his tone.

**"Die, faithless one," Echidna rasped, and the Chimera sent a column of flame toward my face.**

**"Father, help me," I prayed.**

**I turned and jumped. My clothes on fire, poison coursing through my veins, I plummeted toward the river.**

"Done," Thalia announced.

Poseidon snatched the book away from her almost immediately. "Chapter fourteen," he read, "I Become a Known Fugitive."

* * *

Last chapter I mentioned that I had gotten less reviews than normal.

You guys magnificently rose to the challenge and I was practically smothered with review.

Let it be known: you guys are bloody epic! :D

Here's an extra chapter for being so awesome.

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	16. Chapter 16

**I Become a Known Fugitive**

"Cheery," Hermes muttered, though his heart wasn't in the words.

**I'd love to tell you I had some deep revelation on my way down, that I came to terms with my own mortality, laughed in the face of death, et cetera.**

**The truth? My only thought was: Aaaaggghhhhh!**

"Honesty is best," Apollo quipped cheerily, a hint of unease to his voice.

**The river raced toward me at the speed of a truck. Wind ripped the breath from my lungs. Steeples and skyscrapers and bridges tumbled in and out of my vision.**

"Jeez, could you imagine falling from that high?" Leo shivered. "Worse than nearly falling off the Grand Canyon."

"What is this?" Hephaestus demanded.

"Uh... tell you later, Dad."

**And then: _Flaaa-boooom!_**

**A whiteout of bubbles. I sank through the murk, sure that I was about to end up embedded in a hundred feet of mud and lost forever.**

**But my impact with the water hadn't hurt.**

Poseidon slowly relaxed the more he read.

**I was falling slowly now, bubbles trickling up through my fingers. I settled on the river bottom soundlessly. A catfish the size of my stepfather**

A cacophony of snorts and scoffs rang out.

**lurched away into the gloom. Clouds of silt and disgusting garbage—beer bottles, old shoes, plastic bags—swirled up all around me.**

Poseidon looked vaguely irritated at this.

**At that point, I realized a few things: first, I had not been flattened into a pancake. I had not been barbecued. I couldn't even feel the Chimera poison boiling in my veins anymore. I was alive, which was good.**

"Very good," Athena remarked dryly.

**Second realization: I wasn't wet. I mean, I could feel the coolness of the water. I could see where the fire on my clothes had been quenched. But when I touched my own shirt, it felt perfectly dry.**

"Cool," Leo looked impressed.

**I looked at the garbage floating by and snatched an old cigarette lighter.**

**No way, I thought.**

**I flicked the lighter. It sparked. A tiny flame appeared, right there at the bottom of the Mississippi.**

"Dude!" Leo grinned, amazed.

"If Percy can make things dry, can he do that to people too?" Piper asked, cocking her head slightly.

"He can," Annabeth replied confidently.

"Does this mean that if I team up with Percy, I could set something on fire underwater?" Leo asked, practically bouncing in his seat.

"Sure," Thalia snorted, "but as soon as it leaves your hands, it's going to sputter out."

"Aww, man!"

**I grabbed a soggy hamburger wrapper out of the current and immediately the paper turned dry. I lit it with no problem. As soon as I let it go, the flames sputtered out. The wrapper turned back into a slimy rag. Weird.**

"That is really cool," Leo repeated after a moment, "do you realize how much you could _do_ underwater? No more having to build a boat in a dry dock! You could just, like, make it right there!"

"You're still on that?" Jason chuckled. "Jeez, Leo, let it go."

"Do you know how much effort goes into building a ship?" Leo snorted, "especially when you have less than a year to create a totally new, never-before-seen ship that can travel in both the sky and the sea?"

"Yes, because you won't shut up about it," Jason retorted dryly.

"...we're not friends anymore," Leo pouted.

**But the strangest thought occurred to me only last: I was breathing. I was underwater, and I was breathing normally.**

"Quick on the uptake isn't he?" Artemis snorted.

"You would think that he would realize these types of things before he knew he was a demigod." Hera sniffed.

"When he hit the water, he instinctively gasped," Annabeth retorted, her tone frosty. "Otherwise, he would've held his breath. Like any _normal_ being."

Hera glared at her.

**I stood up, thigh-deep in mud. My legs felt shaky. My hands trembled. I should've been dead. The fact that I wasn't seemed like ... well, a miracle. I imagined a woman's voice, a voice that sounded a bit like my mother: _Percy, what do you say?_**

**"Um ... thanks." Underwater, I sounded like I did on recordings, like a much older kid. "Thank you ... Father."**

A faint smile drifted across Poseidon's face as he read.

**No response. Just the dark drift of garbage downriver, the enormous catfish gliding by, the flash of sunset on the water's surface far above, turning everything the colour of butterscotch.**

Apollo chuckled.

**Why had Poseidon saved me? **

Said god paused in his reading. "Because you are my son," he replied slowly, as if the question confused him on some level.

"Most gods don't treat their children with such care," Annabeth said grimly. "Hence the number of unclaimed kids in Hermes' cabin."

Poseidon frowned deeply. "I am not such a god."

"But he didn't know that."

"...fair enough," he responded with a sigh.

**The more I thought about it, the more ashamed I felt. So I'd gotten lucky a few times before. Against a thing like the Chimera, I had never stood a chance.**

"I'm not sure if he's humble or self-deprecating," Artemis rolled her eyes.

"He's a bit of both," Thalia replied.

**Those poor people in the Arch were probably toast. I couldn't protect them. I was no hero. Maybe I should just stay down here with the catfish, join the bottom feeders.**

Annabeth sighed and shook her head.

**_Fump-fump-fump._ A riverboat's paddle-wheel churned above me, swirling the silt around.**

**There, not five feet in front of me, was my sword, its gleaming bronze hilt sticking up in the mud.**

**I heard that woman's voice again: _Percy, take the sword. Your father believes in you._**

As he read, Poseidon's voice took on a slightly proud tone. It was incredibly slight, but if one knew what to listen for, they'd find it.

**This time, I knew the voice wasn't in my head. I wasn't imagining it. Her words seemed to come from everywhere, rippling through the water like dolphin sonar.**

"What is it?" Hermes questioned his uncle. Poseidon just smiled mysteriously and continued.

**"Where are you?" I called aloud.**

**Then, through the gloom, I saw her—a woman the colour of the water, a ghost in the current, floating just above the sword. She had long billowing hair, and her eyes, barely visible, were green like mine.**

"The eyes of the sea," Aphrodite murmured, looking slightly dreamy.

**A lump formed in my throat. I said, "Mom?"**

Sad looks appeared at the mention of Sally Jackson.

_**No, child, only a messenger, though your mother's fate is not as hopeless as you believe. Go to the beach in Santa Monica.**_

"You summoned him," Zeus frowned.

"Obviously," Poseidon replied dryly; Zeus shot him a glare.

**"What?"**

_**It is your father's will. Before you descend into the Underworld, you must go to Santa Monica. Please, Percy, I cannot stay long. The river here is too foul for my presence.**_

Poseidon shook his head in irritation at this.

**"But ..." I was sure this woman was my mother, or a vision of her, anyway. "Who—how did you—"**

"She's probably adopting a voice or presence that she feels would put him best at ease," Athena mused aloud.

**There was so much I wanted to ask, the words jammed up in my throat.**

**_I cannot stay, brave one, _the woman said. She reached out, and I felt the current brush my face like a caress. _You must go to Santa Monica! And, Percy, do not trust the gifts..._**

The room frowned at the cryptic words; whereas Annabeth merely scowled.

**Her voice faded.**

**"Gifts?" I asked. "What gifts? Wait!"**

**She made one more attempt to speak, but the sound was gone. Her image melted away. If it was my mother, I had lost her again.**

**I felt like drowning myself. The only problem: I was immune to drowning.**

"Sob," Dionysus said flatly, rolling his eyes.

**_Your father believes in you, _she had said.**

**She'd also called me brave ... unless she was talking to the catfish.**

Apollo and Hermes laughed.

**I waded toward Riptide and grabbed it by the hilt. The Chimera might still be up there with its snaky, fat mother, waiting to finish me off. At the very least, the mortal police would be arriving, trying to figure out who had blown a hole in the Arch. If they found me, they'd have some questions.**

"I think 'some' is a bit of an understatement," Ares snorted, rolling eyes.

**I capped my sword, stuck the ballpoint pen in my pocket. "Thank you, Father," I said again to the dark water.**

Poseidon's faint smile returned.

**Then I kicked up through the muck and swam for the surface.**

**I came ashore next to a floating McDonald's.**

Demeter huffed in irritation at the mention of the franchise.

**A block away, every emergency vehicle in St. Louis was surrounding the Arch. Police helicopters circled overhead. The crowd of onlookers reminded me of Times Square on New Year's Eve.**

**A little girl said, "Mama! That boy walked out of the river."**

**"That's nice, dear," her mother said, craning her neck to watch the ambulances.**

**"But he's dry!"**

**"That's nice, dear."**

"Do children just naturally have a way to see through the Mist?" Jason asked curiously.

"Yes," Hera told him. "They are not clouded by preconceptions. Thus, they have clear sight."

"Preconceptions are what create the mist, Jason," Annabeth explained, "it's why humans could see the gods before but can't now. They believed in the gods then; and _that_ makes all the difference."

**A news lady was talking for the camera: "Probably not a terrorist attack, we're told, but it's still very early in the investigation. The damage, as you can see, is very serious. We're trying to get to some of the survivors, to question them about eyewitness reports of someone falling from the Arch."**

Apollo and Hermes exchanged amused glances.

**_Survivors._ I felt a surge of relief. Maybe the park ranger and that family made it out safely.**

Hestia's smile only grew.

**I hoped Annabeth and Grover were okay. I tried to push through the crowd to see what was going on inside the police line.**

**"... an adolescent boy," another reporter was saying. "Channel Five has learned that surveillance cameras show an adolescent boy going wild on the observation deck, somehow setting off this freak explosion. Hard to believe, John, but that's what we're hearing. Again, no confirmed fatalities …"**

"So they're going to blame him for this," Leo shook his head. "Sucks."

"Very," Thalia replied dryly.

**I backed away, trying to keep my head down. I had to go a long way around the police perimeter. Uniformed officers and news reporters were everywhere.**

**I'd almost lost hope of ever finding Annabeth and Grover when a familiar voice bleated, "Perrr-cy!"**

Poseidon relaxed imperceptibly.

**I turned and got tackled by Grover's bear hug—or goat hug. He said, "We thought you'd gone to Hades the hard way!"**

"All things considered," Hades remarked offhandedly, "that would be the _easy_ way."

**Annabeth stood behind him, trying to look angry, but even she seemed relieved to see me. "We can't leave you alone for five minutes!**

Annabeth flushed at the looks she was getting.

**What happened?"**

**"I sort of fell."**

**"Percy! Six hundred and thirty feet?"**

"Yup," Leo snickered.

**Behind us, a cop shouted, "Gangway!" The crowd parted, and a couple of paramedics hustled out, rolling a woman on a stretcher. I recognized her immediately as the mother of the little boy who'd been on the observation deck. She was saying, "And then this huge dog, this huge fire-breathing Chihuahua—"**

"Sounds weird when you put it like that," Hermes sniggered.

**"Okay, ma'am," the paramedic said. "Just calm down. Your family is fine.**

A collective breath was released at this.

**The medication is starting to kick in."**

**"I'm not crazy! This boy jumped out of the hole and the monster disappeared." Then she saw me. "There he is! That's the boy!"**

**I turned quickly and pulled Annabeth and Grover after me. We disappeared into the crowd.**

"Good thinking," Demeter rolled her eyes.

**"What's going on?" Annabeth demanded. "Was she talking about the Chihuahua on the elevator?"**

**I told them the whole story of the Chimera, Echidna, my high-dive act, and the underwater lady's message.**

**"Whoa," said Grover. "We've got to get you to Santa Monica! You can't ignore a summons from your dad."**

"Or rather, you _really_ shouldn't." Thalia smirked.

**Before Annabeth could respond, we passed another reporter doing a news break, and I almost froze in my tracks when he said, "Percy Jackson. That's right, Dan. Channel Twelve has learned that the boy who may have caused this explosion fits the description of a young man wanted by authorities for a serious New Jersey bus accident three days ago. _And _the boy is believed to be travelling west. For our viewers at home, here is a photo of Percy Jackson."**

"Sucks," Jason muttered.

**We ducked around the news van and slipped into an alley.**

**"First things first," I told Grover. "We've got to get out of town!"**

**Somehow, we made it back to the Amtrak station with out getting spotted. We got on board the train just before it pulled out for Denver. The train trundled west as darkness fell, police lights still pulsing against the St. Louis skyline behind us.**

"There you have it," Poseidon remarked cheerily, obviously in higher spirits now that this portion of the story was over.

"I'll read," Leo offered with a grin. "Chapter fifteen," he announced dramatically after getting the book, "A God Buys us Cheeseburgers!"

* * *

Just finished adding dialogue to We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of; and holy crap, I don't I've ever written something so intense. Of course, it only gets worse from here, but meh.

_**THIS IS IMPORTANT**_

Now that I've got the attention of those who don't normally read the AN's; I've put up a poll on my profile. Two separate reviewers have asked me if I'm going to have a sort of echo-effect going on later on when Percy shows up. In that, with every injury that Percy receives in the book, the Percy reading the book will also gain the same injuries. So, if book-Percy gets a cut, then the Percy reading will get the same cut. It's a simple yes or no poll and I'll keep it open until I bring Percy in which, again, won't be until late-book two, early-book three.

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	17. Chapter 17

**A God Buys us Cheeseburgers**

"Who's stupid enough to do that?" Ares snorted.

Annabeth burst into giggles and covered her face with her hands. Athena couldn't help but smile, it was the cheeriest sound her daughter had made since appearing.

**The next afternoon, June 14, seven days before the solstice, our train rolled into Denver. We hadn't eaten since the night before in the dining car, somewhere in Kansas. We hadn't taken a shower since Half-Blood Hill, and I was sure that was obvious.**

Annabeth shrugged. "Grover was the worst."

"I can imagine," Aphrodite shook her head. "Wet barnyard animal."

**"Let's try to contact Chiron," Annabeth said. "I want to tell him about your talk with the river spirit."**

**"We can't use phones, right?"**

**"I'm not talking about phones."**

"Iris," Hermes grinned. "Good."

**We wandered through downtown for about half an hour, though I wasn't sure what Annabeth was looking for. The air was dry and hot, which felt weird after the humidity of St. Louis. Everywhere we turned, the Rocky Mountains seemed to be staring at me, like a tidal wave about to crash into the city.**

Poseidon's mouth quirked as Ares rolled his eyes.

**Finally we found an empty do-it-yourself car wash. We veered toward the stall farthest from the street, keeping our eyes open for patrol cars. We were three adolescents hanging out at a car wash without a car; any cop worth his doughnuts would figure we were up to no good.**

Annabeth chuckled quietly.

**"What exactly are we doing?" I asked, as Grover took out the spray gun.**

**"It's seventy-five cents," he grumbled. "I've only got two quarters left. Annabeth?"**

**"Don't look at me," she said. "The dining car wiped me out."**

**I fished out my last bit of change and passed Grover a quarter, which left me two nickels and one drachma from Medusa's place.**

"You guys were in a really bad place," Leo whistled after reading this.

"Actually, that was just typical," Annabeth replied wryly. "And compared to what came after? This one was, possibly, the easiest quest we did."

"For some odd reason, that is not a comforting thought," Athena drawled with a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"No, it is not," Zeus rumbled.

Annabeth just shrugged grimly in reply.

**"Excellent," Grover said. "We could do it with a spray bottle, of course, but the connection isn't as good, and my arm gets tired of pumping."**

Apollo choked on his laughter, turning it into an outrageous coughing fit. Artemis gave him a filthy look.

**"What are you talking about?"**

**He fed in the quarters and set the knob to FINE MIST. "I-M'ing."**

**"Instant messaging?"**

**"_Iris_-messaging," Annabeth corrected. "The rainbow goddess Iris carries messages for the gods. If you know how to ask, and she's not too busy, she'll do the same for half-bloods."**

"I don't think Iris has ever dropped a demigod message, actually," Thalia mused aloud. "At least, she hasn't dropped any of mine."

"Nor mine," Annabeth commented.

"Well, of course not," Hermes chuckled. "Iris is better than that."

**"You summon the goddess with a spray gun?"**

**Grover pointed the nozzle in the air and water hissed out in a thick white mist. "Unless you know an easier way to make a rainbow."**

"Now, if my dear younger brother had allowed me to have contact with my son," Poseidon gave a meaningful glare at Zeus, "then perhaps I would be able to teach Percy that _he_ could create a rainbow, as he can_ create_ water."

Zeus gave his brother an irritated look.

**Sure enough, late afternoon light filtered through the vapour and broke into colours.**

**Annabeth held her palm out to me. "Drachma, please."**

**I handed it over.**

**She raised the coin over her head. "O goddess, accept our offering." She threw the drachma into the rainbow. It disappeared in a golden shimmer. "Half-Blood Hill," Annabeth requested.**

"Probably would've been better if I had been specific," Annabeth sighed, shaking her head.

"Why?" Jason asked her. "What happens?"

"You'll see."

**For a moment, nothing happened.**

**Then I was looking through the mist at strawberry fields, and the Long Island Sound in the distance. We seemed to be on the porch of the Big House. Standing with his back to us at the railing was a sandy-haired guy in shorts and an orange tank top. He was holding a bronze sword and seemed to be staring intently at something down in the meadow.**

Hermes blinked and leant forward ever so slightly in his seat.

**"Luke!" I called.**

**He turned, eyes wide. I could swear he was standing three feet in front of me through a screen of mist, except I could only see the part of him that appeared in the rainbow.**

**"Percy!" His scarred face broke into a grin. "Is that Annabeth, too? Thank the gods! Are you guys okay?"**

"Oh yeah, perfect," Apollo snorted. "Just, you know, only almost died a few hundred times."

**"We're ... uh ... fine," Annabeth stammered. She was madly straightening her dirty T-shirt, trying to comb the loose hair out of her face. "We thought—Chiron—I mean—"**

Annabeth was blushing hotly, sinking into her seat as amused glances were thrown her way.

**"He's down at the cabins." Luke's smile faded. "We're having some issues with the campers. **

"Issues with the campers?" Dionysus rose a brow. "In all my years at Camp Half-Blood, there have never been such difficulties necessitating Chiron's mediation."

"There is only one thing that can rile up the campers to that point," Thalia said grimly. "And that's insulting their parent."

The gods exchanged frowns.

**Listen, is everything cool with you? Is Grover all right?"**

**"I'm right here," Grover called. He held the nozzle out to one side and stepped into Luke's line of vision. "What kind of issues?"**

**Just then a big Lincoln Continental pulled into the car wash with its stereo turned to maximum hip-hop. As the car slid into the next stall, the bass from the subwoofers vibrated so much, it shook the pavement.**

"Sounds like Ares," Apollo snorted.

"Damn straight," Ares crowed.

**"Chiron had to—what's that noise?" Luke yelled.**

**"I'll take care of it.'" Annabeth yelled back, looking very relieved to have an excuse to get out of sight.**

"I hate him for noticing all of that," Annabeth grumbled, her cheeks still burning.

**"Grover, come on!"**

**"What?" Grover said. "But—"**

**"Give Percy the nozzle and come on!" she ordered.**

**Grover muttered something about girls being harder to understand than the Oracle at Delphi,**

"All of my oracles have been girls," Apollo snorted. "So, that's kind of a pointless thing to mutter about."

**then he handed me the spray gun and followed Annabeth. I readjusted the hose so I could keep the rainbow going and still see Luke.**

**"Chiron had to break up a fight," Luke shouted to me over the music. "Things are pretty tense here, Percy. Word leaked out about the Zeus—Poseidon standoff.**

Poseidon and Zeus both cocked a brow at the term.

**We're still not sure how—probably the same scumbag who summoned the hellhound.**

Annabeth scowled darkly.

**Now the campers are starting to take sides. It's shaping up like the Trojan War all over again. Aphrodite, Ares, and Apollo are backing Poseidon, more or less. Athena is backing Zeus."**

"Of course," Hades muttered.

"Good to know I'll at least have one of my children on my side," Zeus glared at Ares and Apollo.

Apollo shrugged in reply and Ares didn't react.

**I shuddered to think that Clarisse's cabin would ever be on my dad's side for anything.**

Ares snorted.

**In the next stall, I heard Annabeth and some guy arguing with each other, then the music's volume decreased drastically.**

"What did you say to him?" Leo asked her curiously.

"I asked him to turn it down," Annabeth said simply.

"Well- yeah, but-"

"Leo," Annabeth smiled sweetly. "Don't worry about it."

"Riiight," Leo drawled.

**"So what's your status?" Luke asked me. "Chiron will be sorry he missed you."**

**I told him pretty much everything,**

Annabeth and Thalia exchanged grim looks; Athena, upon noticing this interaction, frowned.

**including my dreams. It felt so good to see him, to feel like I was back at camp even for a few minutes, that I didn't realize how long I had talked until the beeper went off on the spray machine, and I realized I only had one more minute before the water shut off.**

**"I wish I could be there," Luke told me. "We can't help much from here, I'm afraid, but listen ... it had to be Hades who took the master bolt. He was there at Olympus at the winter solstice. I was chaperoning a field trip and we saw him."**

Hades muttered an irritated curse.

**"But Chiron said the gods can't take each other's magic items directly."**

**"That's true," Luke said, looking troubled. "Still ... Hades has the helm of darkness. How could anybody else sneak into the throne room and steal the master bolt? You'd have to be invisible."**

Athena sat bolt upright, and Annabeth's mouth dropped ever so slightly, her eyes going wide with surprise and just a touch of hurt.

**We were both silent, until Luke seemed to realize what he'd said.**

**"Oh, hey," he protested. "I didn't mean Annabeth. She and I have known each other forever. She would never ... I mean, she's like a little sister to me."**

"He better not have meant her," Athena said darkly, her grey eyes flashing dangerously.

"I'm sure it was just an accident," Hermes defended, though he was frowning as he spoke.

**I wondered if Annabeth would like that description. In the stall next to us, the music stopped completely. A man screamed in terror, car doors slammed, and the Lincoln peeled out of the car wash.**

Annabeth smiled, and not one of the gods missed how similar it was to Athena's.

**"You'd better go see what that was," Luke said. "Listen, are you wearing the flying shoes? I'll feel better if I know they've done you some good."**

**"Oh ... uh, yeah!" I tried not to sound like a guilty liar. "Yeah, they've come in handy."**

Annabeth blinked. Percy probably didn't realize it, but that lie probably saved their lives.

**"Really?" He grinned. "They fit and everything?"**

**The water shut off. The mist started to evaporate.**

**"Well, take care of yourself out there in Denver," Luke called, his voice getting fainter. "And tell Grover it'll be better this time! Nobody will get turned into a pine tree if he just—"**

Thalia and Annabeth both froze. Zeus' expression immediately darkened, turning downright murderous.

**But the mist was gone, and Luke's image faded to nothing. I was alone in a wet, empty car wash stall.**

**Annabeth and Grover came around the corner, laughing, but stopped when they saw my face. Annabeth's smile faded. "What happened, Percy? What did Luke say?"**

**"Not much," I lied, my stomach feeling as empty as a Big Three cabin.**

"That's quite the comparison," Dionysus muttered, rolling his eyes. "In that, it's stupid."

"It got the point across, didn't it?" Hestia rebuked.

**"Come on, let's find some dinner."**

**A few minutes later, we were sitting at a booth in a gleaming chrome diner. All around us, families were eating burgers and drinking malts and sodas.**

**Finally the waitress came over. She raised her eyebrow skeptically. "Well?"**

"Well, that's rather rude," Piper muttered.

**I said, "We, um, want to order dinner."**

**"You kids have money to pay for it?"**

**Grover's lower lip quivered. I was afraid he would start bleating, or worse, start eating the linoleum. Annabeth looked ready to pass out from hunger.**

Athena's frown deepened, looking highly annoyed.

**I was trying to think up a sob story for the waitress when a rumble shook the whole building; a motorcycle the size of a baby elephant had pulled up to the curb.**

Ares grinned nastily.

"I think we found out which idiot bought them burgers, brother," Apollo remarked innocently.

Almost immediately, the grin dropped from Ares' face and he chucked something at Apollo's head, causing the Sun God to cackle with amusement as he ducked.

**All conversation in the diner stopped. The motorcycle's headlight glared red. Its gas tank had flames painted on it, and a shotgun holster riveted to either side, complete with shotguns. The seat was leather—but leather that looked like ... well, Caucasian human skin.**

The demigods blanched, whilst the gods rolled their eyes. Ares' grin slowly grew once again.

**The guy on the bike would've made pro wrestlers run for Mama. **

**He was dressed in a red muscle shirt and black jeans and a black leather duster, with a hunting knife strapped to his thigh. He wore red wraparound shades, and he had the cruelest, most brutal face I'd ever seen— handsome, I guess, but wicked**

Ares smirked darkly, and Aphrodite rolled her eyes but pressed a kiss to his jaw anyways. He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Hephaestus cocked a brow and ignored them, turning back to his machines. Leo, upon seeing this, frowned darkly and Piper looked surprised.

—**with an oily black crew cut and cheeks that were scarred from many, many fights. The weird thing was, I felt like I'd seen his face somewhere before.**

Ares cocked a brow at that.

**As he walked into the diner, a hot, dry wind blew through the place. All the people rose, as if they were hypnotized, but the biker waved his hand dismissively and they all sat down again.**

The gods rolled their eyes at this, but Ares just gave a smug smirk.

**Everybody went back to their conversations. The waitress blinked, as if somebody had just pressed the rewind button on her brain. She asked us again, "You kids have money to pay for it?"**

**The biker said, "It's on me." He slid into our booth, which was way too small for him, and crowded Annabeth against the window. He looked up at the waitress, who was gaping at him, and said, "Are you still here?"**

"You're such a brute," Aphrodite said, slapping him playfully on the chest.

Ares gave her a dirty grin. "Yes, but you love it."

"Because _that_ isn't disgusting," Artemis muttered under her breath. Her twin brother mimed puking next to her, but Artemis didn't bother scolding him. In truth, she felt much the same way.

**He pointed at her, and she stiffened. She turned as if she'd been spun around, then marched back toward the kitchen.**

**The biker looked at me. I couldn't see his eyes behind the red shades, but bad feelings started boiling in my stomach. Anger, resentment, bitterness. I wanted to hit a wall. I wanted to pick a fight with somebody. Who did this guy think he was?**

Ares chuckled darkly. "Looks like the kid is being affected."

"Yes, you're pulling up all of his darker emotions; we get it," Athena rolled her eyes skyward.

**He gave me a wicked grin. "So you're old Seaweed's kid, huh?"**

Poseidon's mouth tightened as he looked at his nephew, looking wholly unimpressed. Ares' grin took an uneasy nature.

**I should've been surprised, or scared, but instead I felt like I was looking at my stepdad, Gabe. I wanted to rip this guy's head off. "What's it to you?"**

**Annabeth's eyes flashed me a warning. "Percy, this is—"**

**The biker raised his hand.**

**"S'okay," he said. "I don't mind a little attitude. Long as you remember who's the boss. You know who I am, little cousin?"**

"Now that I think about it," Annabeth remarked suddenly. "I'm pretty sure that most every god we've ever met addressed Percy in some sort of familial way. Hades, Hermes, Ares, Poseidon obviously... Of course, I could be wrong..."

"From what I've heard of this guy, I'm pretty sure he's the sort that I'd take to," Apollo laughed.

"Ditto," Hermes hummed offhandedly, his eyes glued to his phone.

**Then it struck me why this guy looked familiar. He had the same vicious sneer as some of the kids at Camp Half-Blood, the ones from cabin five.**

**"You're Clarisse's dad," I said. "Ares, god of war."**

"I am not _just_ Clarisse's dad, punk," Ares scoffed, crossing his arms.

**Ares grinned and took off his shades. Where his eyes should've been, there was only fire, empty sockets glowing with miniature nuclear explosions. "That's right, punk. I heard you broke Clarisse's spear."**

**"She was asking for it."**

"Woah," Leo looked vaguely impressed. "He's pretty much back-talking the god of war!"

"That's Percy for you," Annabeth said. "Totally without a mental filter."

**"Probably. That's cool. I don't fight my kids' fights, you know?**

"Commendable," Athena murmured.

"Why thanks, Athy," Ares snickered.

Athena gave him an irritated look. "Do _not_ call me that," she told him frostily.

**What I'm here for—I heard you were in town. I got a little proposition for you."**

**The waitress came back with heaping trays of food—cheeseburgers, fries, onion rings, and chocolate shakes. Ares handed her a few gold drachmas.**

**She looked nervously at the coins. "But, these aren't..."**

**Ares pulled out his huge knife and started cleaning his fingernails. "Problem, sweetheart?"**

"Ares," Hera scolded, her elegant brows drawn together.

Ares mumbled an apology, his face burning as he could hear Hephaestus' rumbling chuckles behind him.

**The waitress swallowed, then left with the gold.**

**"You can't do that," I told Ares. "You can't just threaten people with a knife."**

**Ares laughed. "Are you kidding? I love this country. Best place since Sparta.**

Leo began laughing hysterically.

Jason gave him a weird look. "Why are you laughing?"

"Well, you had to say it!" Leo told him, still chortling.

"What?"

"_'Fight in the shade'_!"

"Oh, for the love of-" Piper rolled her eyes. "Leo, did you just quote the movie _300_?"

"I regret _nothing_!"

**Don't you carry a weapon, punk?**

"Obviously," Jason frowned, "but that doesn't mean you should be threatening people like that."

"Shut up, kid," Ares said, looking bored.

**You should. Dangerous world out there. Which brings me to my proposition. I need you to do me a favour."**

**"What favour could I do for a god?"**

"Don't ask, Percy, you'll get more than you could handle," Thalia snorted, shaking her head.

**"Something a god doesn't have time to do himself. It's nothing much.**

Annabeth scoffed loudly, crossing her arms; a look of irritation prominent on her face.

**I left my shield at an abandoned water park here in town. I was going on a little ... date with my girlfriend.**

Aphrodite hummed and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

**We were interrupted. I left my shield behind. I want you to fetch it for me."**

**"Why don't you go back and get it yourself?"**

"An excellent question," Apollo said, giving his half-brother a curious look.

**The fire in his eye sockets glowed a little hotter.**

**"Why don't I turn you into a prairie dog and run you over with my Harley? Because I don't feel like it. A god is giving you an opportunity to prove yourself, Percy Jackson. Will you prove yourself a coward?" He leaned forward. "Or maybe you only fight when there's a river to dive into, so your daddy can protect you."**

Ares had a defiant look on his face, though it wobbled under the dangerous glare Poseidon was giving him. He had no doubt that Poseidon could tear him to pieces if he so wished.

"Ares..." Poseidon's tone was low and dark, the only saving grace was that it seemed to be just a warning.

It suddenly occurred to Athena that Poseidon was incredibly protective over this boy. She knew, of course, that Sally Jackson had struck a chord within the god; it happened sometimes, where a god would meet a mortal that just... fit them. It happened for Hermes, with May Castellan; and Hades, with Maria di Angelo. It had even happened with she, Athena, with the human Odysseus. But that didn't explain the child. True, all gods were... fond of their children, yet Poseidon seemed to be viscerally affected when this boy's safety was threatened. It piqued her curiosity, to say the least of it.

**I wanted to punch this guy, but somehow, I knew he was waiting for that. Ares' power was causing my anger. He'd love it if I attacked. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction.**

**"We're not interested," I said. "We've already got a quest."**

"Brave of him," Athena remarked, her mind still partially occupied with prior thoughts, "though, not particularly wise."

**Ares' fiery eyes made me see things I didn't want to see—blood and smoke and corpses on the battlefield. "I know all about your quest, punk. When that _item _was first stolen, Zeus sent his best out looking for it: Apollo, Athena, Artemis, and me, naturally.**

"Naturally," Artemis and Apollo said in unison.

"But, of course," Athena remarked, sweeping her dark hair over her shoulder.

**If I couldn't sniff out a weapon that powerful ..." He licked his lips, as if the very thought of the master bolt made him hungry. "Well ... if I couldn't find it, you got no hope. Nevertheless, I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt. Your dad and I go way back. After all, I'm the one who told him my suspicions about old Corpse Breath."**

Hades growled darkly at the name. "_Ares_..."

"You seem to be irritating quite a few people today, lover," Aphrodite remarked casually.

"Yeah, I noticed, babe," Ares grunted.

**"You told him Hades stole the bolt?"**

**"Sure. Framing somebody to start a war. Oldest trick in the book. I recognized it immediately. In a way, you got me to thank for your little quest."**

"I... do not think that is the whole truth," Hestia frowned. "Though... I don't know why..."

**"Thanks," I grumbled.**

**"Hey, I'm a generous guy. Just do my little job, and I'll help you on your way. I'll arrange a ride west for you and your friends."**

**"We're doing fine on our own."**

Athena shook her head. "Does you no good to lie about such a thing. And whether you like the idea or not, you need his help."

**"Yeah, right. No money. No wheels. No clue what you're up against. Help me out, and maybe I'll tell you something you need to know. Something about your mom."**

Poseidon's grip on his trident reflexively tightened. Hera huffed in irritation.

"You know," she said after a moment, "I never understood why people insisted upon using family as a bargaining chip."

"Yes, you do," Hestia replied, cocking a brow, "you just don't like it."

"That too," Hera responded airily.

**"My mom?"**

**He grinned. "That got your attention. The water park is a mile west on Delancy. You can't miss it. Look for the Tunnel of Love ride."**

"You take me to the _nicest_ places," Aphrodite drawled.

**"What interrupted your date?" I asked. "Something scare you off?"**

**Ares bared his teeth, but I'd seen his threatening look before on Clarisse. There was something false about it, almost like he was nervous.**

"For a twelve year old to realize such a look," a hint of mischief appeared in Athena's eyes, "you must be losing your touch, brother."

Ares spluttered in reply.

**"You're lucky you met me, punk, and not one of the other Olympians. They're not as forgiving of rudeness as I am.**

"Well, depends on what you do, I guess," Apollo remarked with an offhand chuckle.

**I'll meet you back here when you're done. Don't disappoint me."**

**After that I must have fainted, or fallen into a trance, because when I opened my eyes again, Ares was gone. I might've thought the conversation had been a dream, but Annabeth and Grover's expressions told me otherwise.**

"I hate it when gods do that," Thalia mumbled, "always trips me out."

**"Not good," Grover said. "Ares sought you out, Percy. This is not good."**

Ares sneered.

**I stared out the window. The motorcycle had disappeared.**

**Did Ares really know something about my mom, or was he just playing with me? Now that he was gone, all the anger had drained out of me. I realized Ares must love to mess with people's emotions. That was his power—cranking up the passions so badly, they clouded your ability to think.**

Aphrodite shot Ares a lewd smile that had Piper sinking into her seat in mortification.

**"It's probably some kind of trick," I said. "Forget Ares. Let's just go."**

**"We can't," Annabeth said. "Look, I hate Ares as much as anybody, but you don't ignore the gods unless you want serious bad fortune.**

It didn't look like many gods disagreed with either assessment.

**He wasn't kidding about turning you into a rodent."**

**I looked down at my cheeseburger, which suddenly didn't seem so appetizing. "Why does he need us?"**

**"Maybe it's a problem that requires brains,"**

Ares scowled darkly, shooting Hermes and Apollo angry glares as they snickered at him.

**Annabeth said. "Ares has strength. That's all he has. Even strength has to bow to wisdom sometimes."**

Athena smiled approvingly at her daughter.

**"But this water park ... he acted almost scared. What would make a war god run away like that?"**

Annabeth chuckled, though a hint of unease still lingered. "In hindsight, this is actually pretty hilarious," she remarked.

"So... nothing too horrible, then?" Leo asked her, ignoring the sparks that flew from his machine.

Annabeth made a face. "There were a few parts I could've done without, but really? No, nothing too horrible."

**Annabeth and Grover glanced nervously at each other.**

**Annabeth said, "I'm afraid we'll have to find out."**

**The sun was sinking behind the mountains by the time we found the water park. Judging from the sign, it once had been called WATERLAND, but now some of the letters were smashed out, so it read WAT R A D.**

"What rad?" Leo snickered. "It sounds like a bad insult from the 1960's. 'I'm rad, man!' 'You? Rad? What rad?'"

"By the gods, Leo," Jason rolled his eyes, a faint smile tugging at the scar on his mouth.

**The main gate was padlocked and topped with barbed wire. Inside, huge dry waterslides and tubes and pipes curled everywhere, leading to empty pools. Old tickets and advertisements fluttered around the asphalt. With night coming on, the place looked sad and creepy.**

"Emphasis on the 'creepy'," Piper shook her head.

**"If Ares brings his girlfriend here for a date," I said, staring up at the barbed wire, "I'd hate to see what she looks like."**

Athena and Hera looked highly, incredibly, amused even as Aphrodite spluttered; Annabeth suspected that this had something to do with the story of Paris. The human who had judged Aphrodite to be fairest of the three; thus, inadvertently starting the Trojan War.

**"Percy," Annabeth warned. "Be more respectful."**

**"Why? I thought you hated Ares."**

**"He's still a god. And his girlfriend is very temperamental."**

"I am not!" Aphrodite pouted.

"Let's not go there," Artemis snorted.

"Just because _you_ don't understand love, Artemis-"

"Says the one who's cheating on her husband with _Ares_ of all people," Artemis interjected.

"I believe that marriage is _my_ end of the spectrum, ladies," Hera cut in smoothly.

"And look how well _that's_ turned out," Aphrodite muttered.

"I had no idea that the goddesses could be so... _catty_," Piper whispered to Jason.

"Seriously," he muttered.

**"You don't want to insult her looks," Grover added.**

**"Who is she? Echidna?"**

**"No, Aphrodite," Grover said, a little dreamily. "Goddess of love."**

**"I thought she was married to somebody," I said. "Hephaestus."**

Leo looked up, a faint frown on his mouth.

**"What's your point?" he asked.**

**"Oh." I suddenly felt the need to change the subject.**

"Don't we all?" Athena asked dryly.

**"So how do we get in?"**

_**"Maia!"**_

"Ah, balls," Hermes grumbled. "_Maia_."

**Grover's shoes sprouted wings. He flew over the fence, did an unintended somersault in midair, then stumbled to a landing on the opposite side. He dusted off his jeans, as if he'd planned the whole thing. "You guys coming?"**

Apollo chuckled. "While I'm not a huge fan of girls being turned into trees-" he ignored the snort Hermes made "-that Grover kid is pretty cool."

**Annabeth and I had to climb the old-fashioned way, holding down the barbed wire for each other as we crawled over the top.**

**The shadows grew long as we walked through the park, checking out the attractions. There was Ankle Biter Island, Head Over Wedgie, and Dude, Where's My Swimsuit?**

Aphrodite rolled her eyes and gave Ares an irritated look.

"No wonder Percy thought I was hideous," she sulked.

"Aww, babe!"

"Hmph, don't talk to me!"

**No monsters came to get us. Nothing made the slightest noise.**

**We found a souvenir shop that had been left open. Merchandise still lined the shelves: snow globes, pencils, postcards, and racks of—**

**"Clothes," Annabeth said. "Fresh clothes."**

**"Yeah," I said. "But you can't just—"**

**"Watch me."**

"I approve!" Hermes declared, snickering lightly.

**She snatched an entire row of stuff of the racks and disappeared into the changing room. A few minutes later she came out in Waterland flower-print shorts, a big red Waterland T-shirt, and commemorative Waterland surf shoes. A Waterland backpack was slung over her shoulder, obviously stuffed with more goodies.**

**"What the heck." Grover shrugged. Soon, all three of us were decked out like walking advertisements for the defunct theme park.**

"Hipsters," Leo cackled.

**We continued searching for the Tunnel of Love.**

**I got the feeling that the whole park was holding its breath. "So Ares and Aphrodite," I said, to keep my mind off the growing dark, "they have a thing going?"**

The gods snorted.

**"That's old gossip, Percy," Annabeth told me. "Three-thousand-year-old gossip."**

**"What about Aphrodite's husband?"**

**"Well, you know," she said. "Hephaestus. The black smith. He was crippled when he was a baby, thrown off Mount Olympus by Zeus.**

Zeus scoffed and Hephaestus rolled his eyes; Hera just sniffed and didn't look at either of them.

**So he isn't exactly handsome. Clever with his hands, and all, but Aphrodite isn't into brains and talent, you know?"**

"Which is stupid," Leo muttered rebelliously, his eyes pinned on the scrap in his hands, "I thought love was supposed to be about the _person_, not just the looks."

"It was an arranged marriage, lad," Hephaestus grunted. "I don't much care either way."

"Yet you still try to trap us," Aphrodite snapped waspishly.

"A trap?" Athena spoke suddenly, cutting off the impending fight. "Is that what is in the waterpark?"

Annabeth nodded carefully.

"Huh," Hephaestus said, sounding vaguely surprised. "How in the heavens did you lot get out?"

"You'll see."

**"She likes bikers."**

**"Whatever."**

**"Hephaestus knows?"**

**"Oh sure," Annabeth said. "He caught them together once. I mean, literally caught them, in a golden net, and invited all the gods to come and laugh at them.**

"And the only reason why I let them out was because of him," Hephaestus rumbled, nodding towards Poseidon.

Poseidon shrugged. "We had better things to do that day."

**Hephaestus is always trying to embarrass them. That's why they meet in out-of-the-way places, like ..." She stopped, looking straight ahead. "Like that."**

**In front of us was an empty pool that would've been awesome for skateboarding. It was at least fifty yards across and shaped like a bowl.**

**Around the rim, a dozen bronze statues of Cupid stood guard with wings spread and bows ready to fire. On the opposite side from us, a tunnel opened up, probably where the water flowed into when the pool was full. The sign above it read, THRILL RIDE O' LOVE: THIS IS NOT YOUR PARENTS' TUNNEL OF LOVE!**

"Kind of gross," Jason muttered.

"Ugh, Jason, stop it," Thalia said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

**Grover crept toward the edge. "Guys, look."**

**Marooned at the bottom of the pool was a pink-and-white two-seater boat with a canopy over the top and little hearts painted all over it. In the left seat, glinting in the fading light, was Ares' shield, a polished circle of bronze.**

**"This is too easy,"**

"Which means something crazy is about to happen," Leo said, pointing with his screwdriver. "That's what _always_ happens."

**I said. "So we just walk down there and get it?"**

**Annabeth ran her fingers along the base of the nearest Cupid statue.**

**"There's a Greek letter carved here," she said. "Eta. I wonder ..."**

"_H_, for my name," Hephaestus said. "I hadn't intended for you to get caught in it."

"It's fine," Annabeth said, waving it off, "we got out well enough."

"Meaning you still got caught," Athena pointed out wryly, watching as Annabeth's face reddened faintly.

**"Grover," I said, "you smell any monsters?"**

**He sniffed the wind. "Nothing."**

**"Nothing—like, in-the-Arch-and-you-didn't-smell-Echidna nothing, or really nothing?"**

"Harsh," Dionysus said, though it didn't look like he really cared.

**Grover looked hurt. "I told you, that was underground."**

**"Okay, I'm sorry."**

"At least he apologized," Hestia remarked.

**I took a deep breath. "I'm going down there."**

**"I'll go with you." Grover didn't sound too enthusiastic, but I got the feeling he was trying to make up for what had happened in St. Louis.**

**"No," I told him. "I want you to stay up top with the flying shoes. You're the Red Baron, a flying ace, remember? I'll be counting on you for backup, in case something goes wrong."**

"Not a bad thought," Athena murmured.

**Grover puffed up his chest a little. "Sure. But what could go wrong?"**

Leo and Jason groaned. "Now, you've gone and jinxed it," Jason said, shaking his head.

"Yep, you're screwed now, buddy," Leo snorted.

**"I don't know. Just a feeling. Annabeth, come with me—"**

Aphrodite giggled deviously and Annabeth felt her face redden.

"Aphrodite, stop teasing my daughter," Athena said severely, "Perseus did not mean it like that, did he?"

"No, he didn't," Annabeth hastily assured, her cheeks still burning.

"Doesn't mean you didn't want it to," Aphrodite cooed.

"Aphrodite."

"Hmph, spoilsport."

**"Are you kidding?" She looked at me as if I'd just dropped from the moon. Her cheeks were bright red.**

**"What's the problem now?" I demanded.**

**"Me, go with you to the ... the 'Thrill Ride of Love'? How embarrassing is that? What if somebody saw me?"**

Annabeth groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.

**"Who's going to see you?" But my face was burning now, too. Leave it to a girl to make everything complicated.**

**"Fine," I told her. "I'll do it myself." But when I started down the side of the pool, she followed me, muttering about how boys always messed things up.**

"Ah, puppy love," Aphrodite giggled. "How _adorable!_"

**We reached the boat. The shield was propped on one seat, and next to it was a lady's silk scarf. I tried to imagine Ares and Aphrodite here, a couple of gods meeting in a junked-out amusement-park ride. Why?**

"Because Ares has no imagination," Aphrodite pouted. "He's such a brute."

Ares rolled his eyes. "I thought you weren't talking to me."

"Well fine," Aphrodite snapped at him, "I see how it is!"

"..._what_?"

Hermes and Apollo cackled.

**Then I noticed something I hadn't seen from up top: mirrors all the way around the rim of the pool, facing this spot. We could see ourselves no matter which direction we looked. That must be it. While Ares and Aphrodite were smooching with each other they could look at their favourite people: themselves.**

The gods, minus Aphrodite and Ares, snorted and chuckled at this. Aphrodite just pouted and Ares scowled darkly.

**I picked up the scarf. It shimmered pink, and the perfume was indescribable—rose, or mountain laurel. Something good. I smiled, a little dreamy, and was about to rub the scarf against my cheek when Annabeth ripped it out of my hand and stuffed it in her pocket. "Oh, no you don't. Stay away from that love magic."**

"Take it from me, kid, stay away from that," Apollo chuckled good-naturedly.

**"What?"**

**"Just get the shield, Seaweed Brain, and let's get out of here."**

**The moment I touched the shield, I knew we were in trouble. My hand broke through something that had been connecting it to the dashboard. A cobweb, I thought, but then I looked at a strand of it on my palm and saw it was some kind of metal filament, so fine it was almost invisible. A trip wire.**

Hephaestus sighed but then shrugged, as the others exchanged curious glances. Annabeth just groaned again and sunk into her seat, practically swallowed by the blue sweater.

**"Wait," Annabeth said.**

**"Too late."**

**"There's another Greek letter on the side of the boat, another Eta. This is a trap."**

"Hurrah, you've finally figured it out," Dionysus muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Mesa thinks that this is gonna be _bad_," Leo snorted.

"Thanks for the update, Jar-Jar," Piper said dryly.

"Who's Jar-Jar?" Jason asked, his brow furrowing.

"Dude!" Leo protested. "How have you never seen Star Wars?"

"Because I've been in a camp all my life?"

"...good point."

**Noise erupted all around us, of a million gears grinding, as if the whole pool were turning into one giant machine.**

**Grover yelled, "Guys!"**

**Up on the rim, the Cupid statues were drawing their bows into firing position. Before I could suggest taking cover, they shot, but not at us. They fired at each other, across the rim of the pool. Silky cables trailed from the arrows, arcing over the pool and anchoring where they landed to form a huge golden asterisk. Then smaller metallic threads started weaving together magically between the main strands, making a net.**

Leo's voice sped up slightly, curiosity seeping into his voice as his read.

**"We have to get out," I said.**

"Someone's been neglecting his fibre," Demeter said disapprovingly.

**"Duh!" Annabeth said.**

**I grabbed the shield and we ran, but going up the slope of the pool was not as easy as going down.**

**"Come on!" Grover shouted.**

**He was trying to hold open a section of the net for us, but wherever he touched it, the golden threads started to wrap around his hands.**

"Dude!" Leo's eyes sparked with interest. "Dad, you've _got_ to teach me how to do that!"

Hephaestus chuckled. "We'll see, lad."

**The Cupids' heads popped open. Out came video cameras. Spotlights rose up all around the pool, blinding us with illumination, and a loudspeaker voice boomed: "Live to Olympus in one minute ... Fifty-nine seconds, fifty-eight ..."**

"We'll be able to watch this?" Apollo asked, looking excited. "Awesome!"

"Didn't you say that you didn't want anyone to see you and Percy on the Thri-"

"Shut up, Thalia," Annabeth groaned.

**"Hephaestus!" Annabeth screamed. "I'm so stupid.' Eta is H.' He made this trap to catch his wife with Ares. Now we're going to be broadcast live to Olympus and look like absolute fools!"**

Poseidon and Athena both looked unamused at this.

**We'd almost made it to the rim when the row of mirrors opened like hatches and thousands of tiny metallic ... things poured out.**

**Annabeth screamed.**

**It was an army of wind-up creepy-crawlies: bronze-gear bodies, spindly legs, little pincer mouths, all scuttling toward us in a wave of clacking, whirring metal.**

**"Spiders!" Annabeth said. "Sp—sp—aaaah!"**

"Scared of spiders?" Leo asked, not catching the way Athena had stilled.

"All children of Athena loathe spiders," Annabeth said, shivering slightly. "And I'm pretty sure that the feeling is mutual."

"Trust me," Athena said dryly, a hint of tightness to her voice, "it is."

**I'd never seen her like this before. She fell backward in terror and almost got overwhelmed by the spider robots before I pulled her up and dragged her back toward the boat.**

**The things were coming out from all around the rim now, millions of them, flooding toward the centre of the pool, completely surrounding us.**

"Okay, that's creepy," Piper shuddered.

**I told myself they probably weren't programmed to kill, just corral us and bite us and make us look stupid. Then again, this was a trap meant for gods. And we weren't gods.**

"The boy is right on the first part," Hephaestus said. "Though, I'm not entirely sure about the second..."

"Lovely," Jason said, shaking his head.

**Annabeth and I climbed into the boat.**

**I started kicking away the spiders as they swarmed aboard. I yelled at Annabeth to help me, but she was too paralysed to do much more than scream.**

"That could get you killed," Ares snorted. "You're going to have to get over that."

"Easy for you to say," Annabeth muttered rebelliously.

**"Thirty, twenty-nine," called the loudspeaker.**

**The spiders started spitting out strands of metal thread, trying to tie us down. The strands were easy enough to break at first, but there were so many of them, and the spiders just kept coming. I kicked one away from Annabeth's leg and its pincers took a chunk out of my new surf shoe.**

**Grover hovered above the pool in his flying sneakers, trying to pull the net loose, but it wouldn't budge.**

"Of course it wouldn't," Hephaestus said, sounding somewhat affronted. "I designed it, did I not?"

"Hephaestus," Athena sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

**Think, I told myself. Think.**

**The Tunnel of Love entrance was under the net. We could use it as an exit, except that it was blocked by a million robot spiders.**

"Yeah, there is no way you're going to get Annabeth through that," Leo said.

**"Fifteen, fourteen," the loudspeaker called.**

**Water, I thought. Where does the ride's water come from?**

"And that's how they're going to get out," Hermes nodded.

**Then I saw them: huge water pipes behind the mirrors, where the spiders had come from. And up above the net, next to one of the Cupids, a glass-windowed booth that must be the controller's station.**

"Okay, pause for a moment," Piper said, turning to her mother, "how did Ares' shield even get into the boat in the first place without you tripping the trap?"

"Never underestimate the power of magnets, girl," Hephaestus grunted. "All I would've had to do is rig the ride to attract Ares' shield."

"But he always wears his shield as a bulletproof vest," Aphrodite pointed out.

"And he's your lover," Hephaestus told his wife flatly. "I'm sure it would've come off eventually."

A number of people looked away at that. It felt like they were intruding on something private, this ages-long argument between Hephaestus, Aphrodite, and Ares. Piper and Leo, in particular, looked incredibly uncomfortable.

**"Grover!" I yelled. "Get into that booth! Find the 'on' switch!"**

**"But—"**

**"Do it!" It was a crazy hope, but it was our only chance. The spiders were all over the prow of the boat now. Annabeth was screaming her head off. I had to get us out of there.**

Annabeth winced, she didn't like being reminded that she had -essentially- left Percy hanging.

**Grover was in the controller's booth now, slamming away at the buttons.**

**"Five, four—"**

**Grover looked up at me hopelessly, raising his hands. He was letting me know that he'd pushed every button, but still nothing was happening. I closed my eyes and thought about waves, rushing water, the Mississippi River. I felt a familiar tug in my gut. I tried to imagine that I was dragging the ocean all the way to Denver.**

Poseidon hissed. "If he pulls too much, he could flood the entire water park!"

"He can do that?" Leo asked, his eyes wide.

Poseidon glanced at him, an unconscious half-smile tugging at his mouth. "Leo, my son can control water. He's currently centred in a park surrounded by water; if he tugs too much, he'll invoke _all_ of the water in the park."

"Damn..." Apollo whistled. "That is one powerful squirt."

"Nice choice of words," Hermes snorted.

"...dude!"

**"Two, one, _zero_!"**

**Water exploded out of the pipes. It roared into the pool, sweeping away the spiders. I pulled Annabeth into the seat next to me and fastened her seat belt just as the tidal wave slammed into our boat, over the top, whisking the spiders away and dousing us completely, but not capsizing us. The boat turned, lifted in the flood, and spun in circles around the whirlpool.**

"Wicked," Leo breathed.

**The water was full of short-circuiting spiders, some of them smashing against the pool's concrete wall with such force they burst.**

**Spotlights glared down at us. The Cupid-cams were rolling, live to Olympus.**

"Ah, damn, I want to see this one!" Hermes crowed, hovering about a foot over his seat.

**But I could only concentrate on controlling the boat. I willed it to ride the current, to keep away from the wall. Maybe it was my imagination, but the boat seemed to respond. **

"It would," Poseidon remarked confidently.

**At least, it didn't break into a million pieces. We spun around one last time, the water level now almost high enough to shred us against the metal net. Then the boat's nose turned toward the tunnel and we rocketed through into the darkness.**

"He's controlling the water unconsciously," Athena murmured, her eyes sparking with intrigue.

**Annabeth and I held tight, both of us screaming as the boat shot curls and hugged corners and took forty-five-degree plunges past pictures of Romeo and Juliet and a bunch of other Valentine's Day stuff.**

"He's such a boy," Aphrodite huffed. "_'Valentine's Day stuff_', indeed."

**Then we were out of the tunnel, the night air whistling through our hair as the boat barrelled straight toward the exit.**

**If the ride had been in working order, we would've sailed off a ramp between the golden Gates of Love and splashed down safely in the exit pool. But there was a problem. The Gates of Love were chained.**

"Oh, not good," Leo said, practically bouncing in his seat.

"Gods, calm down, Leo," Piper rolled her eyes, gripping his shoulders to try and press him down onto the couch.

"Never!" Leo refuted cheerfully, before continuing on.

**Two boats that had been washed out of the tunnel before us were now piled against the barricade—one submerged, the other cracked in half.**

**"Unfasten your seat belt," I yelled to Annabeth.**

**"Are you crazy?"**

"Yes," Thalia and Annabeth snorted.

**"Unless you want to get smashed to death." I strapped Ares' shield to my arm. "We're going to have to jump for it." My idea was simple and insane.**

"That does tend to sum up Percy rather neatly," Thalia remarked, a teasing glint in her eyes.

**As the boat struck, we would use its force like a springboard to jump the gate. I'd heard of people surviving car crashes that way, getting thrown thirty or forty feet away from an accident. With luck, we would land in the pool.**

**Annabeth seemed to understand. She gripped my hand as the gates got closer.**

Aphrodite squealed happily.

"Dammit, woman!" Ares grumbled, rubbing at his head. "That was my ear!"

"Oh, but they're so cute!" She cooed.

"Please, desist," Athena muttered, rubbing at her eyes.

**"On my mark," I said.**

**"No! On my mark!"**

"Really?" Jason chuckled lightly.

"I had the math," Annabeth defended. "Percy had the instinct."

**"What?"**

**"Simple physics!" she yelled. "Force times the trajectory angle—"**

**"Fine.'" I shouted. "On _your _mark!"**

**She hesitated ... hesitated ... then yelled, "Now!"**

_**Crack!**_

**Annabeth was right. If we'd jumped when I thought we should've, we would've crashed into the gates. She got us maximum lift.**

"See?" Annabeth smiled, shaking her head.

**Unfortunately, that was a little more than we needed.**

"See?" Jason replied, teasing good-naturedly.

"Gods, I don't know if you two hate each other or are friends with each other," Thalia muttered.

"We have differing opinions," Annabeth remarked, her tone casual. "That doesn't mean we're not friends."

"I can relate to Percy," Jason said simply. "He's my counterpart, after all."

"You also have Father's temper, so you tend to blow off the handle when you get real annoyed," Thalia pointed out dryly.

"I don't have a temper," Zeus scoffed.

He was then drowned out by the loud cacophony of snorts.

"If you don't have a temper, I'm god of the desert," Poseidon remarked dryly.

**Our boat smashed into the pileup and we were thrown into the air, straight over the gates, over the pool, and down toward solid asphalt.**

Athena and Poseidon tensed.

**Something grabbed me from behind.**

**Annabeth yelled, "Ouch!"**

**Grover!**

"Good," Athena murmured, her body slowly relaxing.

**In midair, he had grabbed me by the shirt, and Annabeth by the arm, and was trying to pull us out of a crash landing, but Annabeth and I had all the momentum.**

**"You're too heavy!" Grover said. "We're going down!"**

**We spiralled toward the ground, Grover doing his best to slow the fall.**

**We smashed into a photo-board,**

Leo snickered loudly, Hermes and Apollo also looked highly amused.

**Grover's head going straight into the hole where tourists would put their faces, pretending to be Noo-Noo the Friendly Whale. Annabeth and I tumbled to the ground, banged up but alive. Ares' shield was still on my arm.**

"Well, at least it wasn't a total loss," Ares snorted.

Something resembling a fuzzy tennis ball slammed directly into his face; Ares spluttered, a circular red mark appearing over his nose. The tennis ball flew back and Annabeth couldn't help but giggle. It was a small owl that immediately zipped over to Athena.

"What in Hades?!" Ares spat, his eyes watering.

"A Northern Saw-whet owl," Annabeth named, smiling broadly.

"An owl," Ares grumbled, "of course."

**Once we caught our breath, Annabeth and I got Grover out of the photo-board and thanked him for saving our lives. I looked back at the Thrill Ride of Love. The water was subsiding. Our boat had been smashed to pieces against the gates.**

**A hundred yards away, at the entrance pool, the Cupids were still filming.**

**The statues had swivelled so that their cameras were trained straight on us, the spotlights in our faces.**

**"Show's over!" I yelled. "Thank you! Good night!"**

Apollo cackled. "I love this kid! He's such a smart ass!"

**The Cupids turned back to their original positions. The lights shut off. The park went quiet and dark again, except for the gentle trickle of water into the Thrill Ride of Love's exit pool. I wondered if Olympus had gone to a commercial break, or if our ratings had been any good.**

"They were probably epic," Apollo remarked, still snickering, "though, there's probably an uproar going on about a kid of Athena and a kid of Poseidon being together on the Tunnel of Love ride."

Annabeth blushed hotly. "Or, they would've seen Ares' shield and realized what we were doing."

"Don't wreck my fun, kid," Apollo protested good-naturedly.

**I hated being teased. I hated being tricked. And I had plenty of experience handling bullies who liked to do that stuff to me. I hefted the shield on my arm and turned to my friends. "We need to have a little talk with Ares."**

"Oh, this should be stunning," Ares snorted, looking arrogant.

"Well, the chapter's done," Leo said, holding the book up, "any takers?"

"I want to see this happen," Apollo grinned. "Toss it, kid." Taking the book, he cracked it open. "Chapter sixteen: We Take a Zebra to Vegas."

* * *

Fifty-four freaking pages. ...my head hurts.

Alright, the thing with Poseidon and the net Hephaestus caught Ares and Aphrodite in. I don't actually know if this is true to the myth as I only found one reference to it; but I felt like it worked well with the way Rick Riordan had characterized these gods.

Also; in the Trojan War, it was said to have been started by a contest of who was the most beautiful. Hera, Athena, or Aphrodite. Paris claimed it was Aphrodite and she had Helen of Troy fall in love with him as a reward, thus starting the war. Or... that's the myth anyways.

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	18. Chapter 18

**We Take a Zebra to Vegas**

"Classy," Hermes chuckled.

"Not really," Annabeth sighed. "You'll see."

**The war god was waiting for us in the diner parking lot.**

**"Well, well," he said. "You didn't get yourself killed."**

"Oh, that's pleasant," Jason muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I ain't pleasant, kid," Ares snorted.

"That much is obvious."

**"You knew it was a trap," I said.**

**Ares gave me a wicked grin. "Bet that crippled blacksmith**

Leo spluttered, an irritated look on his face. "Hey! Jerk, that's my dad!"

"I don't give a flying fuck," Ares retorted.

"Well, I do!" Leo snapped, his hands beginning to smoke dangerously.

"Leo," Hephaestus rumbled. "Come here."

Leo was seething, shaking, and smoking. But he obeyed his father. Upon reaching the blacksmith's side in the back of the room, Hephaestus placed his massive hand onto Leo's shoulder. No one could hear what the two were saying, but whatever it was, it seemed to work. The smoke dissipated and Leo's shoulders slumped. Hephaestus nodded and lightly pushed his boy back to his seat, Leo sat back down between Thalia and Piper and glared at the floor, not speaking.

"Continue, Apollo," Hephaestus rumbled.

**was surprised when he netted a couple of stupid kids. You looked good on TV."**

**I shoved his shield at him. "You're a jerk."**

Leo let out a huff of breath, obviously agreeing.

"Tis not wise to insult a god," Athena remarked slowly. "However much I may agree with the sentiment."

**Annabeth and Grover caught their breath. Ares grabbed the shield and spun it in the air like pizza dough. It changed form, melting into a bulletproof vest. He slung it across his back.**

**"See that truck over there?" He pointed to an eighteen-wheeler parked across the street from the diner. "That's your ride. Take you straight to L.A., with one stop in Vegas."**

**The eighteen-wheeler had a sign on the back, which I could read only because it was reverse-printed white on black, a good combination for dyslexia: KINDNESS INTERNATIONAL: HUMANE**

Annabeth scoffed loudly, looking incredibly irritated. The gods governing natural areas began to look concerned.

**ZOO TRANSPORT. WARNING: LIVE WILD ANIMALS.**

**I said, "You're kidding."**

**Ares snapped his fingers. The back door of the truck unlatched. "Free ride west, punk. Stop complaining. And here's a little something for doing the job."**

"A gift, perhaps?" Athena mumbled under her breath, more to herself than anyone else. "Or an exchange?"

**He slung a blue nylon backpack off his handlebars and tossed it to me. Inside were fresh clothes for all of us, twenty bucks in cash, a pouch full of golden drachmas, and a bag of Double Stuff Oreos.**

"Double Stuff Oreos are the shit," Leo muttered, still not back to his full self, but slowly approaching it.

**I said, "I don't want your lousy—"**

**"Thank you, Lord Ares," Grover interrupted, giving me his best red-alert warning look. "Thanks a lot."**

**I gritted my teeth.**

Poseidon chuckled and shook his head. Obedience was not something that came naturally to this family.

**It was probably a deadly insult to refuse something from a god, but I didn't want anything that Ares had touched.**

"Feelings mutual, brat," Ares grunted. "I'm probably going to have to burn away all traces of human off of my shield."

"Watch who you're calling brat," Poseidon warned lightly.

**Reluctantly, I slung the backpack over my shoulder. I knew my anger was being caused by the war god's presence, but I was still itching to punch him in the nose. He reminded me of every bully I'd ever faced: Nancy Bobofit, Clarisse,**

"Well, no surprises there," Dionysus scoffed.

**Smelly Gabe, sarcastic teachers—every jerk who'd called me stupid in school or laughed at me when I'd gotten expelled.**

**I looked back at the diner, which had only a couple of customers now. The waitress who'd served us dinner was watching nervously out the window, like she was afraid Ares might hurt us.**

Annabeth smiled faintly. Artemis nodded approvingly.

"It's good to see that humans care for children," she said.

"I'm pretty sure that they're going to pin it on Percy once they figure out who the kid is," Apollo pointed out.

Artemis rolled her eyes. "You don't know that," was all she said.

**She dragged the fry cook out from the kitchen to see. She said something to him. He nodded, held up a little disposable camera and snapped a picture of us.**

"Sucks kid," Hermes remarked sympathetically.

**Great, I thought. We'll make the papers again tomorrow.**

**I imagined the headline: TWELVE-YEAR-OLD OUTLAW BEATS UP DEFENSELESS BIKER.**

Ares spluttered as the other snickered at him.

**"You owe me one more thing," I told Ares, trying to keep my voice level. "You promised me information about my mother."**

Poseidon perked up slightly, his face wary and guarded.

**"You sure you can handle the news?" He kick started his motorcycle. "She's not dead."**

**The ground seemed to spin beneath me. "What do you mean?"**

**"I mean she was taken away from the Minotaur before she could die. She was turned into a shower of gold, right? That's metamorphosis. Not death. She's being kept."**

"Hades..." Poseidon growled dangerously.

"Calm yourself, brother," Hades replied sharply. "It hasn't happened yet."

It was obvious, based upon Poseidon's irritated expression, that he was not assuaged by this.

**"Kept. Why?"**

**"You need to study war, punk. Hostages. You take somebody to control somebody else."**

**"Nobody's controlling me."**

"If you're a demigod, you're being controlled," Jason said grimly, the disillusioned tone made some in the room flinch, "that's just part of the bargain."

"Jason..." Piper murmured, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It's fine," he said, relaxing under her grip. "It's just... frustrating."

"Yeah," Leo mumbled, "we know."

**He laughed. "Oh yeah? See you around, kid."**

**I balled up my fists. "You're pretty smug, Lord Ares, for a guy who runs from Cupid statues."**

"Ballsy," Apollo remarked, his eyes almost as wide as his grin. "_Damn_."

"He's a brat," Ares growled, his fists tightening dangerously.

**Behind his sunglasses, fire glowed. I felt a hot wind in my hair. "We'll meet again, Percy Jackson. Next time you're in a fight, watch your back."**

Poseidon gave his nephew a dark look.

**He revved his Harley, then roared off down Delancy Street.**

**Annabeth said, "That was not smart, Percy."**

**"I don't care."**

**"You don't want a god as your enemy. Especially not that god."**

"Too late now," Dionysus remarked frankly.

**"Hey, guys," Grover said. "I hate to interrupt, but ..."**

**He pointed toward the diner. At the register, the last two customers were paying their check, two men in identical black coveralls, with a white logo on their backs that matched the one on the KINDNESS INTERNATIONAL truck.**

**"If we're taking the zoo express," Grover said, "we need to hurry."**

**I didn't like it, but we had no better option.**

"No, you don't, now stop bitching," Ares scoffed.

**Besides, I'd seen enough of Denver. We ran across the street and climbed in the back of the big rig, closing the doors behind us.**

**The first thing that hit me was the smell. It was like the world's biggest pan of kitty litter.**

Artemis sat up sharply, a suspicious look on her face. Hermes' head jerked and his brows furrowed, he may not be a god controlling a natural area. But his son, Pan, certainly did; thus it was a bit of a personal interest of his to pay attention to such issues.

**The trailer was dark inside until I uncapped Anaklusmos. The blade cast a faint bronze light over a very sad scene. Sitting in a row of filthy metal cages were three of the most pathetic zoo animals I'd ever beheld: a zebra, a male albino lion, and some weird antelope thing I didn't know the name for.**

Artemis' grip over her bow tightened dangerously, a dark look overcoming her face.

**Someone had thrown the lion a sack of turnips, which he obviously didn't want to eat. The zebra and the antelope had each gotten a Styrofoam tray of hamburger meat.**

Artemis spluttered. "Well obviously not!" she snapped.

"Sis," Apollo reminded slowly. Artemis huffed and sat back, her eyes flashing.

**The zebra's mane was matted with chewing gum, like somebody had been spitting on it in their spare time. The antelope had a stupid silver birthday balloon tied to one of his horns that read OVER THE HILL!**

Artemis' bow and arrows glowed a dangerous moonlight silver. Fury was lined in every part of her body as she tensed. Apollo gripped her shoulder, keeping her in her seat as he read.

**Apparently, nobody had wanted to get close enough to the lion to mess with him, but the poor thing was pacing around on soiled blankets, in a space way too small for him, panting from the stuffy heat of the trailer. He had flies buzzing around his pink eyes and his ribs showed through his white fur.**

Artemis hissed and got to her feet, storming out of the room. Apollo was on her heels and Thalia had tensed in her seat, obviously forcing herself to stay put. Though Artemis was the only one to storm out, most everyone else in the room looked just as furious. There was a loud slam, and the sound of someone screaming in fury and frustration; but, eventually, Apollo and Artemis came back to the room.

"Sorry about that," Apollo remarked, forced cheeriness in his voice.

"I'm not," Artemis said darkly.

"Yes, well," Apollo shrugged and took up the book again. "Now, where were we..."

**"This is kindness?" Grover yelled. "Humane zoo transport?"**

Hermes scoffed loudly and Artemis muttered something murderous under her breath.

**He probably would've gone right back outside to beat up the truckers with his reed pipes, and I would've helped him, but just then the trucks engine roared to life, the trailer started shaking, and we were forced to sit down or fall down.**

"Cruel bastards," Poseidon scowled angrily.

**We huddled in the corner on some mildewed feed sacks, trying to ignore the smell and the heat and the flies. Grover talked to the animals in a series of goat bleats, but they just stared at him sadly.**

Hermes scowled, his snakes were hissing angrily and loudly.

**Annabeth was in favour of breaking the cages and freeing them on the spot, but I pointed out it wouldn't do much good until the truck stopped moving. Besides, I had a feeling we might look a lot better to the lion than those turnips.**

"He has an unfortunate point," Artemis said grudgingly.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," Demeter muttered.

**I found a water jug and refilled their bowls, then used Anaklusmos to drag the mismatched food out of their cages. I gave the meat to the lion and the turnips to the zebra and the antelope.**

"Good," Artemis sniffed, "for a boy, at least."

"That's like a declaration of love coming from Artemis," Apollo sniggered, only to get a pillow to the face.

**Grover calmed the antelope down, while Annabeth used her knife to cut the balloon off his horn. She wanted to cut the gum out of the zebra's mane,**

Artemis hissed angrily, sounding suspiciously like a cat that had just had it's tail trod on.

**too, but we decided that would be too risky with the truck bumping around. We told Grover to promise the animals we'd help them more in the morning, then we settled in for night.**

**Grover curled up on a turnip sack; Annabeth opened our bag of Double Stuff Oreos and nibbled on one halfheartedly; I tried to cheer myself up by concentrating on the fact that we were halfway to Los Angeles. Halfway to our destination. It was only June fourteenth. The solstice wasn't until the twenty-first. We could make it in plenty of time.**

"Don't jinx it," Jason shook his head.

"Too late," Leo snorted.

**On the other hand, I had no idea what to expect next. The gods kept toying with me.**

The gods knew they were flawed; they knew that they weren't always fair or kind. Especially not when it came to their own children, as other gods with grudges would take it out on them. Still, it was painful to listen to a child (which Percy still was, all things considered) hold such a disillusioned perspective on the gods.

**At least Hephaestus had the decency to be honest about it—he'd put up cameras and advertised me as entertainment.**

"It wasn't you I was trying to catch, kid," Hephaestus muttered.

**But even when the cameras weren't rolling, I had a feeling my quest was being watched.**

"More than likely," Hestia sighed. "Though, I'm not entirely sure who the watcher is."

**I was a source of amusement for the gods.**

"We do have better things to do, you know," Hermes chuckled. "Though I've no doubt that many of the gods are keeping a close eye on this expedition."

**"Hey," Annabeth said, "I'm sorry for freaking out back at the water park, Percy."**

**"That's okay."**

**"It's just..." She shuddered. "Spiders."**

**"Because of the Arachne story," I guessed. "She got turned into a spider for challenging your mom to a weaving contest, right?"**

Athena nodded grimly and Annabeth shivered.

**Annabeth nodded. "Arachne's children have been taking revenge on the children of Athena ever since. If there's a spider within a mile of me, it'll find me.**

"That sucks," Piper grimaced.

**I hate the creepy little things. Anyway, I owe you."**

**"We're a team, remember?" I said. "Besides, Grover did the fancy flying."**

"He's so modest," Aphrodite giggled.

**I thought he was asleep, but he mumbled from the corner, "I was pretty amazing, wasn't I?"**

**Annabeth and I laughed.**

**She pulled apart an Oreo, handed me half. "In the Iris message ... did Luke really say nothing?"**

**I munched my cookie and thought about how to answer.**

Athena looked approving.

**The conversation via rainbow had bothered me all evening. "Luke said you and he go way back. He also said Grover wouldn't fail this time. Nobody would turn into a pine tree."**

**In the dim bronze light of the sword blade, it was hard to read their expressions.**

**Grover let out a mournful bray.**

**"I should've told you the truth from the beginning." His voice trembled. "I thought if you knew what a failure I was, you wouldn't want me along."**

"Father, stop!" Thalia cried, exasperated as Zeus geared up to say something once again. "It's not his fault! I am _your_ daughter, Father, and I knew what I was doing. You cannot tell me that it would've been the right thing to leave them!"

Zeus glared darkly. "It may have been the right thing to do," he admitted grudgingly, "but that does not mean that I like it."

"For what it is worth, Thalia," Athena said, "I must thank you for saving my daughter's life."

"And my son's," Hermes nodded.

The girl gave them a halfhearted smile. "Don't mention it."

**"You were the satyr who tried to rescue Thalia, the daughter of Zeus."**

**He nodded glumly.**

**"And the other two half-bloods Thalia befriended, the ones who got safely to camp ..." I looked at Annabeth. "That was you and Luke, wasn't it?"**

**She put down her Oreo, uneaten. "Like you said, Percy, a seven-year-old half-blood wouldn't have made it very far alone. Athena guided me toward help. Thalia was twelve. Luke was fourteen. They'd both run away from home, like me. They were happy to take me with them.**

"Of course we were," Thalia said, a touch of indignity in her voice, "we'd both been in your place, Annabeth. With a mortal parent who didn't give a crap and a godly one that couldn't do much more than guide. We wanted someone to help us then, why wouldn't we do the same for another?"

Annabeth smiled and gave Thalia a light hug.

**They were ... amazing monster-fighters, even without training.**

"All children of the Big Three are natural fighters," Hestia said calmly. "Young Perseus is proof enough of that."

"And Luke is obviously a natural talent," Apollo added.

**We travelled north from Virginia without any real plans, fending off monsters for about two weeks before Grover found us."**

**"I was supposed to escort Thalia to camp," he said, sniffling. "Only Thalia. I had strict orders from Chiron: don't do anything that would slow down the rescue. We knew Hades was after her,**

Zeus growled dangerously, cutting his eyes towards his brother; Hades scowled and ignored him.

**see, but I couldn't just leave Luke and Annabeth by themselves.**

"For which, I am grateful," Athena said smoothly; Annabeth smiled.

**I thought ... I thought I could lead all three of them to safety. It was my fault the Kindly Ones caught up with us. I froze. I got scared on the way back to camp and took some wrong turns.**

Zeus grit his teeth, tugging on his beard in irritation.

**If I'd just been a little quicker…"**

**"Stop it," Annabeth said. "No one blames you. Thalia didn't blame you either."**

Thalia nodded firmly.

**"She sacrificed herself to save us," he said miserably, "Her death was my fault. The Council of Cloven Elders said so."**

"The Council of Cloven Elders are little more than puffed up goats," Dionysus said carelessly. "Grover was certainly in over his head, but it wasn't... totally his fault."

"Why, Dionysus," Demeter remarked dryly. "That sounds downright fond."

"Hardly," he scoffed.

**"Because you wouldn't leave two other half-bloods behind?" I said. "That's not fair."**

**"Percy's right," Annabeth said. "I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for you, Grover. Neither would Luke. We don't care what the council says."**

Hermes and Athena nodded.

**Grover kept sniffling in the dark. "It's just my luck. I'm the lamest satyr ever, and I find the two most powerful half-bloods of the century, Thalia and Percy."**

Thalia smiled sadly, faintly, and shook her head at him.

**"You're not lame," Annabeth insisted. "You've got more courage than any satyr I've ever met. Name one other who would dare go to the Underworld. I bet Percy is really glad you're here right now."**

**She kicked me in the shin.**

**"Yeah," I said, which I would've done even without the kick.**

"Uh... oops," Annabeth said sheepishly.

**"It's not luck that you found Thalia and me, Grover. You've got the biggest heart of any satyr ever. You're a natural searcher. That's why you'll be the one who finds Pan."**

Hermes and Dionysus exchanged glances.

**I heard a deep, satisfied sigh. I waited for Grover to say something, but his breathing only got heavier. When the sound turned to snoring, I realized he'd fallen sleep.**

**"How does he do that?" I marvelled.**

**"I don't know," Annabeth said. "But that was really a nice thing you told him."**

"It was," Aphrodite smiled.

**"I meant it."**

"He's turning more and more into a fairy tale prince, isn't he?" Aphrodite cooed.

"A regular prince under the sea," Leo sniggered.

"Did you really just make a _Little Mermaid_ reference?" Piper asked him, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Yep."

**We rode in silence for a few miles, bumping around on the feed sacks. The zebra munched a turnip. The lion licked the last of the hamburger meat off his lips and looked at me hopefully. Annabeth rubbed her necklace like she was thinking deep, strategic thoughts.**

Jason chuckled at that.

**"That pine-tree bead," I said. "Is that from your first year?"**

Annabeth smiled faintly, twirling said bead around on the necklace.

"I tried to argue that I should get the same amount of beads as Annabeth," Thalia remarked dryly. "In all fairness, I _had_ been there."

"Yeah, it's not like you could've leafed," Leo cackled.

"That was horrible, kid," Apollo snorted, shaking his head.

"Yeah, but it made you laugh."

"Touché."

**She looked. She hadn't realized what she was doing.**

**"Yeah," she said. "Every August, the counsellors pick the most important event of the summer, and they paint it on that year's beads. I've got Thalia's pine tree, a Greek trireme on fire, a centaur in a prom dress—now _that _was a weird summer..."**

"I can imagine," Leo sniggered.

**"And the college ring is your father's?"**

Athena looked out the window, a far-away look in her eyes.

**"That's none of your—" She stopped herself. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."**

**"You don't have to tell me."**

**"No ... it's okay." She took a shaky breath. "My dad sent it to me folded up in a letter, two summers ago. The ring was, like, his main keepsake from Athena.**

Aphrodite shot Athena a sad look, which the latter goddess ignored; focusing on the small owl she had summoned as it fluttered about outside.

**He wouldn't have gotten through his doctoral program at Harvard without her... That's a long story. Anyway, he said he wanted me to have it. He apologized for being a jerk, said he loved me and missed me. He wanted me to come home and live with him."**

Annabeth grimaced and Athena frowned, looking somewhat dejected.

**"That doesn't sound so bad."**

**"Yeah, well... the problem was, I believed him. I tried to go home for that school year, but my stepmom was the same as ever. She didn't want her kids put in danger by living with a freak. Monsters attacked. We argued. Monsters attacked. We argued. I didn't even make it through winter break. I called Chiron and came right back to Camp Half-Blood."**

"At least your dad tried," Leo said, wincing slightly.

"Yeah, he did," Annabeth said, the same faraway look in her eyes as her mother's.

**"You think you'll ever try living with your dad again?"**

**She wouldn't meet my eyes. "Please. I'm not into self-inflicted pain."**

**"You shouldn't give up,"**

Aphrodite smiled brightly. "My thoughts exactly!"

**I told her. "You should write him a letter or something."**

**"Thanks for the advice," she said coldly, "but my father's made his choice about who he wants to live with."**

"I shouldn't have said that to him," Annabeth remarked softly. "He was only trying to help."

"Percy reacted the same way when... I... was mentioned," Poseidon said, grimacing slightly. "We know that you children will not have easy lives. It's unsurprising that you would react badly."

Annabeth gave him a searching look for a moment, before smiling. "Thanks."

Poseidon returned the smile kindly.

**We passed another few miles of silence.**

**"So if the gods fight," I said, "will things line up the way they did with the Trojan War? Will it be Athena versus Poseidon?"**

Athena and Poseidon exchanged glances, a hint of distaste on their faces; though it had lessened some as the book continued. It was doubtful that the two would ever be particularly close or even rather amicable, but at least the open hostility had lessened.

**She put her head against the backpack Ares had given us, and closed her eyes. "I don't know what my mom will do. I just know I'll fight next to you."**

Athena blinked at that, but her daughter had a defiant look on her face. Poseidon cocked a brow, looking vaguely surprised.

**"Why?"**

**"Because you're my friend, Seaweed Brain. Any more stupid questions?"**

A number of people chuckled at this.

**I couldn't think of an answer for that. Fortunately I didn't have to. Annabeth was asleep.**

**I had trouble following her example, with Grover snoring and an albino lion staring hungrily at me, but eventually I closed my eyes.**

**My nightmare**

"Damn, this kid _cannot_ catch a break, can he?" Hermes said, shaking his head as he tapped something onto his phone.

"Well, he is cursed by the River Styx, remember?" Hestia pointed out softly. "As his father swore not to have anymore demigod children, the Styx retaliated. And Percy is the unfortunate target."

Poseidon swallowed, looking away.

**started out as something I'd dreamed a million times before: I was being forced to take a standardized test while wearing a straitjacket.**

**All the other kids were going out to recess, and the teacher kept saying, _Come on, Percy. You're not stupid, are you? Pick up your pencil._**

"Harsh," Apollo winced.

**Then the dream strayed from the usual.**

**I looked over at the next desk and saw a girl sitting there, also wearing a straitjacket. She was my age, with unruly black, punk-style hair, dark eyeliner around her stormy green eyes, and freckles across her nose. Somehow, I knew who she was. She was Thalia, daughter of Zeus.**

"Why am I there?" Thalia frowned. "And why in Hades do I have _green_ eyes?"

**She struggled against the straitjacket, glared at me in frustration, and snapped, _Well, Seaweed Brain? One of us has to get out of here._**

"She sounds like Annabeth," Leo sniggered.

"I do, don't I?" Thalia chuckled. "Well, that's not good."

"Rude," Annabeth teased, pushing her lightly.

**She's right, my dream-self thought. I'm going back to that cavern. I'm going to give Hades a piece of my mind.**

Hades rolled his eyes skyward.

**The straitjacket melted off me. I fell through the classroom floor. The teacher's voice changed until it was cold and evil, echoing from the depths of a great chasm.**

"That ain't Hades," Apollo murmured.

**_Percy Jackson, _it said. _Yes, the exchange went well, I see._**

Poseidon's teeth grit, his arms tensing. He did not want his father anywhere _near_ his son.

**I was back in the dark cavern, spirits of the dead drifting around me. Unseen in the pit, the monstrous thing was speaking, but this time it wasn't addressing me. The numbing power of its voice seemed directed somewhere else.**

"The dreams allow you to spy?" Hermes asked, surprised.

"Sometimes, yeah," Jason shrugged. "But other times, the people in the dream can sense you."

"It probably has something to do with our unconscious desires," Annabeth mused aloud. "Maybe... I don't know."

**_And he suspects nothing? _It asked.**

**Another voice, one I almost recognized, answered at my shoulder. _Nothing, he is as ignorant as the rest._**

"Why do I feel like they're talking about Percy?" Poseidon asked, grimacing slightly.

"Because Percy's luck is just that crap?" Apollo offered dryly.

**I looked over, but no one was there. The speaker was invisible.**

**_Deception upon deception, _the thing in the pit mused aloud. _Excellent._**

**_Truly, my lord, _said the voice next to me, _you are well-named the Crooked One._**

Athena sat bolt upright and the other gods stilled.

"So it is," Zeus remarked grimly. "This is worse than anticipated."

"Who, uh, is it?" Leo asked, stumbling over his question.

"Haven't you guessed, lad?" Hephaestus rumbled.

"Our father," Hades said, his tone darker than normal.

"You mean... Kro-"

"Don't say his name," Annabeth cut through.

"Right... right..."

"We'll have to discuss this, Father," Athena murmured.

"And we shall," Zeus replied firmly. "But not now. Apollo."

Apollo, heeding his father, continued to read.

**_But was it really necessary? I could have brought you what I stole directly_—**

**_You?_ the monster said in scorn. _You have already shown your limits. You would have failed me completely had I not intervened._**

"A spy," Ares muttered.

**_But, my lord_—**

_**Peace, little servant. Our six months have bought us much. Zeus' anger has grown. Poseidon has played his most desperate card.**_

Poseidon grimaced at the reminder.

_**Now we shall use it against him. Shortly you shall have the reward you wish, and your revenge. As soon as both items are delivered into my hands ... but wait. He is here.**_

"See?" Jason sighed.

**_What? _The invisible servant suddenly sounded tense. _You summoned him, my lord?_**

**_No. _The full force of the monsters attention was now pouring over me, freezing me in place. _Blast his father's blood_—_he is too changeable, too unpredictable._**

"Good," Poseidon growled dangerously, all the force of the raging ocean behind his voice.

_**The boy brought himself hither.**_

**_Impossible! _The servant cried.**

**_For a weakling such as you, perhaps, _the voice snarled. Then it's cold power turned back on me. _So ... you wish to dream of your quest, young half-blood? Then I will oblige._**

Jason winced. "That's not going to be good."

**The scene changed.**

**I was standing in a vast throne room with black marble walls and bronze floors. The empty, horrid throne was made from human bones fused together. Standing at the foot of the dais was my mother, frozen in shimmering golden light, her arms outstretched.**

**I tried to step toward her, but my legs wouldn't move.**

"A true nightmare," Hestia murmured, her eyes sad.

**I reached for her, only to realize that my hands were withering to bones. Grinning skeletons in Greek armour crowded around me, draping me with silk robes, wreathing my head with laurels that smoked with Chimera poison, burning into my scalp.**

**The evil voice began to laugh. _Hail, the conquering hero!_**

**I woke with a start.**

The room was quiet, only the text being read by Apollo broke the silence. His voice rang in the quiet room, seeping into every corner.

**Grover was shaking my shoulder. "The truck's stopped," he said. "We think they're coming to check on the animals."**

**"Hide!" Annabeth hissed.**

**She had it easy. She just put on her magic cap and disappeared.**

"Sucks for you, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth teased weakly.

**Grover and I had to dive behind feed sacks and hope we looked like turnips.**

"I'm sure that wasn't too difficult," Thalia laughed, her voice strained but the continuous joking the lightened the tension.

**The trailer doors creaked open. Sunlight and heat poured in.**

**"Man!" one of the truckers said, waving his hand in front of his ugly nose. "I wish I hauled appliances." He climbed inside and poured some water from a jug into the animals' dishes.**

**"You hot, big boy?" he asked the lion, then splashed the rest of the bucket right in the lion's face.**

**The lion roared in indignation.**

Artemis' scowl returned full force.

**"Yeah, yeah, yeah," the man said.**

**Next to me, under the turnip sacks, Grover tensed. For a peace-loving herbivore, he looked downright murderous.**

"Do not irritate my satyrs," Dionysus advised. "They may be peace-loving herbivores, but they _will_ take you down if you harm the natural world."

**The trucker threw the antelope a squashed-looking Happy Meal bag. He smirked at the zebra. "How ya doin', Stripes? Least we'll be getting rid of _you _this stop. You like magic shows? You're gonna love this one. They're gonna saw you in half!"**

**The zebra, wild-eyed with fear, looked straight at me. There was no sound, but as clear as day, I heard it say: _Free me, lord. Please._**

"Ah, yes," Athena nodded. "You created horses, Poseidon. Tis only natural that such a powerful demigod would inherit most of your powers; including this one."

Poseidon inclined his head, acknowledging the compliment.

**I was too stunned to react.**

**There was a loud _knock, knock, knock _on the side of the trailer.**

**The trucker inside with us yelled, "What do you want, Eddie?"**

**A voice outside—it must've been Eddie's—shouted back, "Maurice? What'd ya say?"**

**"What are you banging for?"**

_**Knock, knock, knock.**_

"Excellent idea," Athena said, nodding at her daughter, who flushed under the praise.

**Outside, Eddie yelled, "What banging?"**

**Our guy Maurice rolled his eyes and went back outside, cursing at Eddie for being an idiot.**

**A second later, Annabeth appeared next to me. She must've done the banging to get Maurice out of the trailer. She said, "This transport business can't be legal."**

**"No kidding," Grover said. He paused, as if listening. "The lion says these guys are animal smugglers!"**

**_That's right, _the zebra's voice said in my mind.**

**"We've got to free them!" Grover said. He and Annabeth both looked at me, waiting for my lead.**

Annabeth shrugged under the looks she got. "Percy's just one of those people. The type that would sprint headfirst into hell for you if you just asked him to. It makes him a natural leader."

**I'd heard the zebra talk, but not the lion. Why? Maybe it was another learning disability ... I could only understand zebras? Then I thought: horses. What had Annabeth said about Poseidon creating horses? Was a zebra close enough to a horse? Was that why I could understand it?**

"There were about five questions in that one paragraph," Apollo chuckled.

"And that's important why?" Artemis asked, her tone slightly waspish.

"It's not," Apollo shrugged, "just found it funny."

**The zebra said, _Open my cage, lord. Please. I'll be fine after that._**

**Outside, Eddie and Maurice were still yelling at each other, but I knew they'd be coming inside to torment the animals again any minute. I grabbed Riptide and slashed the lock off the zebra's cage.**

**The zebra burst out. It turned to me and bowed. _Thank you, lord._**

**Grover held up his hands and said something to the zebra in goat talk, like a blessing.**

"Good," Dionysus approved.

**Just as Maurice was poking his head back inside to check out the noise, the zebra leaped over him and into the street. There was yelling and screaming and cars honking. We rushed to the doors of the trailer in time to see the zebra galloping down a wide boulevard lined with hotels and casinos and neon signs. We'd just released a zebra in Las Vegas.**

"Whoop!" Leo cheered, Jason laughed and applauded with him. It took a few minutes for them to settle, but eventually, Apollo was able to read again.

**Maurice and Eddie ran after it, with a few policemen running after them, shouting, "Hey! You need a permit for that!"**

**"Now would be a good time to leave," Annabeth said.**

"Not without the other animals," Artemis said sharply.

**"The other animals first," Grover said.**

Artemis nodded firmly.

**I cut the locks with my sword. Grover raised his hands and spoke the same goat-blessing he'd used for the zebra.**

**"Good luck," I told the animals. **

**The antelope and the lion burst out of their cages and went off together into the streets.**

**Some tourists screamed. Most just backed off and took pictures, probably thinking it was some kind of stunt by one of the casinos.**

"Tourists," Leo chuckled.

**"Will the animals be okay?" I asked Grover. "I mean, the desert and all—"**

**"Don't worry," he said. "I placed a satyr's sanctuary on them."**

**"Meaning?"**

**"Meaning they'll reach the wild safely," he said. "They'll find water, food, shade, whatever they need until they find a safe place to live."**

**"Why can't you place a blessing like that on us?" I asked.**

**"It only works on wild animals."**

**"So it would only affect Percy," Annabeth reasoned.**

Apollo snickered and had to stop reading for a moment to get his laughter under control. Especially when Hermes, Leo, and Jason started sniggering too, setting him off once again.

**"Hey!" I protested.**

**"Kidding," she said. "Come on. Let's get out of this filthy truck."**

**We stumbled out into the desert afternoon. It was a hundred and ten degrees, easy, and we must've looked like deep-fried vagrants, but everybody was too interested in the wild animals to pay us much attention.**

"Yeah, let's not add 'Percy Jackson, Animal Smuggler' onto the list of things he's wanted for," Leo snorted.

**We passed the Monte Carlo and the MGM. We passed pyramids, a pirate ship, and the Statue of Liberty, which was a pretty small replica, but still made me homesick.**

**I wasn't sure what we were looking for. Maybe just a place to get out of the heat for a few minutes, find a sandwich and a glass of lemonade, make a new plan for getting west.**

**We must have taken a wrong turn, because we found ourselves at a dead end, standing in front of the Lotus Hotel and Casino.**

The gods groaned and Hades stilled, his brow furrowing. He had picked up when the demigods had spoken of his son earlier, but he doubted that anyone else had. Was this when they found his children? Was this when they found Bianca and Nico?

**The entrance was a huge neon flower, the petals lighting up and blinking. No one was going in or out, but the glittering chrome doors were open, spilling out air-conditioning that smelled like flowers—lotus blossom, maybe. I'd never smelled one, so I wasn't sure.**

**The doorman smiled at us. "Hey, kids. You look tired. You want to come in and sit down?"**

"Say no," Athena murmured, her body tensing.

**I'd learned to be suspicious, the last week or so. I figured anybody might be a monster or a god. You just couldn't tell. But this guy was normal. One look at him, and I could see. Besides, I was so relieved to hear somebody who sounded sympathetic that I nodded and said we'd love to come in.**

"Well, they're doomed," Demeter said bluntly.

"I'm sitting right here," Annabeth said, cocking a brow.

Demeter flapped her hand carelessly. "Minor detail."

**Inside, we took one look around, and Grover said, "Whoa."**

**The whole lobby was a giant game room. And I'm not talking about cheesy old Pacman games**

Dionysus looked vaguely affronted.

**or slot machines. There was an indoor waterslide snaking around the glass elevator, which went straight up at least forty floors.**

"Dude!" Leo said, sitting up straight with wide eyes.

**There was a climbing wall on the side of one building, and an indoor bungee-jumping bridge. There were virtual-reality suits with working laser guns. And hundreds of video games, each one the size of a widescreen TV.**

"Can I go there? That sounds awesome!" Leo was practically bouncing in his seat.

"You'll see why you won't want to go in a minute, lad," Hephaestus replied.

**Basically, you name it, this place had it_. _There were a few other kids playing, but not that many. No waiting for any of the games. There were waitresses and snack bars all around, serving every kind of food you can imagine.**

**"Hey!" a bellhop said. At least I guessed he was a bellhop. He wore a white-and-yellow Hawaiian shirt with lotus designs, shorts, and flip-flops. "Welcome to the Lotus Casino. Here's your room key."**

"You have to pay for that kind of stuff," Piper said with a frown. "What is going on...?"

"You'll see, dove," Aphrodite replied, echoing Hephaestus' prior comment. "Just listen."

**I stammered, "Um, but..."**

**"No, no," he said, laughing. "The bill's taken care of.**

"By whom?" Jason asked uneasily.

**No extra charges, no tips. Just go on up to the top floor, room 4001. If you need anything, like extra bubbles for the hot tub, or skeet targets for the shooting range, or what ever, just call the front desk. Here are your Lotus Cash cards. They work in the restaurants and on all the games and rides."**

**He handed us each a green plastic credit card.**

**I knew there must be some mistake. Obviously he thought we were some millionaire's kids. But I took the card**

"It's working already," Dionysus sighed. "Shame."

**and said, "How much is on here?"**

**His eyebrows knit together. "What do you mean?"**

"It's a perfectly valid question," Jason spoke slowly.

**"I mean, when does it run out of cash?"**

**He laughed. "Oh, you're making a joke. Hey, that's cool. Enjoy your stay."**

"So... unlimited?" Leo asked, still attempting (and failing) to glean answers.

**We took the elevator upstairs and checked out our room. It was a suite with three separate bedrooms and a bar stocked with candy, sodas, and chips. A hotline to room service. Fluffy towels and water beds with feather pillows. A big-screen television with satellite and high-speed Internet.**

"I don't suggest using that," Thalia remarked. "One giant flare going right up."

**The balcony had its own hot tub, and sure enough, there was a skeet-shooting machine and a shotgun, so you could launch clay pigeons right out over the Las Vegas skyline and plug them with your gun. I didn't see how that could be legal,**

"Mist, probably," Annabeth sighed.

"So... it _is_ a trap?"

"Yes, Leo, Lotus Hotel and Casino is one giant trap. You'll see."

**but I thought it was pretty cool. The view over the Strip and the desert was amazing, though I doubted we'd ever find time to look at the view with a room like this.**

**"Oh, goodness," Annabeth said. "This place is ..."**

**"Sweet," Grover said. "Absolutely sweet."**

**There were clothes in the closet, and they fit me. I frowned, thinking that this was a little strange.**

"Warning lights seem to be going off every few seconds, yet he hasn't put it all together," Dionysus rolled his eyes.

"He put it together faster than I did," Annabeth shook her head.

"That's because you work logically, and Percy works instinctively," Thalia pointed out. "His instincts were what alerted him to the problem, you were under the influence of the spell, thus unable to think it through."

**I threw Ares' backpack in the trash can. Wouldn't need that anymore. When we left, I could just charge a new one at the hotel store.**

**I took a shower, which felt awesome after a week of grimy travel. I changed clothes, ate a bag of chips, drank three Cokes, and came out feeling better than I had in a long time.**

"That's one problem with Camp Half-Blood," Leo pouted, "no pop cans."

"Have you not set this boy up with the contact in the Hermes cabin yet?" Dionysus asked, cocking a brow at them.

"You know about that?" Annabeth asked, looking surprised.

"I am a god, girl," Dionysus sniffed. "Of course I know. It's Chiron's silly rule in the first place."

"Er... right," Annabeth said. "We'll set you up soon enough, Leo, just wait."

"Awesome," he said, blinking in surprise.

**In the back of my mind, some small problem kept nagging me. I'd had a dream or something ... I needed to talk to my friends. But I was sure it could wait.**

**I came out of the bedroom and found that Annabeth and Grover had also showered and changed clothes. Grover was eating potato chips to his heart's content, while Annabeth cranked up the National Geographic Channel.**

"Really?" Jason snickered.

"Yes," Annabeth replied, grinning at him.

**"All those stations," I told her, "and you turn on National Geographic. Are you insane?"**

**"It's interesting."**

**"I feel good," Grover said. "I love this place."**

**Without his even realizing it, the wings sprouted out of his shoes and lifted him a foot off the ground, then back down again.**

Hermes snorted and shook his head.

**"So what now?" Annabeth asked. "Sleep?"**

**Grover and I looked at each other and grinned. We both held up our green plastic Lotus Cash cards.**

**"Play time," I said.**

"Boys," Artemis muttered, rolling her eyes.

**I couldn't remember the last time I had so much fun. I came from a relatively poor family. Our idea of a splurge was eating out at Burger King and renting a video. A five-star Vegas hotel? Forget it.**

Poseidon frowned.

**I bungee-jumped the lobby five or six times, did the waterslide, snowboarded the artificial ski slope,**

"Snowboarding," Leo chuckled and shook his head. "That'd be cool."

"You've never been?" Piper asked him, tucking a braid behind her ear.

"Nah, I'm a home-grown Texan. No snow down there," Leo laughed.

"It's not that much different from skateboarding, I think," Piper told him. "My dad would take me skiing sometimes, but I never went snowboarding."

"According to Percy, skateboarding is pretty much the way to get around New York," Annabeth said, "so I guess it is pretty similar if he could snowboard so easily."

"Unless it has something to do with his powers," Thalia pointed out. "After all, snow is just frozen water, right?"

"Yes, but this was the fake stuff."

"Hm, we should find out later."

**and played virtual-reality laser tag and FBI sharpshooter. I saw Grover a few times, going from game to game. He really liked the reverse hunter thing—where the deer go out and shoot the rednecks. **

"I do approve," Artemis chuckled lightly.

**I saw Annabeth playing trivia games and other brainiac stuff. They had this huge 3D Sim game where you build your own city, and you could actually see the holographic buildings rise on the display board. I didn't think much of it, but Annabeth loved it.**

**I'm not sure when I first realized something was wrong.**

"Besides the very beginning, you mean?" Dionysus scoffed.

"Dionysus, we get it," Poseidon said flatly. "Let Apollo read."

**Probably, it was when I noticed the guy standing next to me at VR sharpshooters. He was about thirteen, I guess, but his clothes were weird. I thought he was some Elvis impersonator's son. He wore bell-bottom jeans and a red T-shirt with black piping, and his hair was permed and gelled like a New Jersey girl's on homecoming night.**

"Eugh," Aphrodite wrinkled her nose. "Do _not_ remind me of the seventies."

"You say that every new decade," Ares rolled his eyes.

"I do not! I happen to _adore_ the antebellum style," Aphrodite sniffed. "Even if their ideas were horrid, they had _excellent_ fashion sense."

**We played a game of sharpshooters together and he said, "Groovy, man. Been here two weeks, and the games keep getting better and better."**

_**Groovy?**_

**Later, while we were talking, I said something was "sick," and he looked at me kind of startled, as if he'd never heard the word used that way before.**

"Weird," Leo muttered, his attention being drawn back to his metal contraption.

**He said his name was Darrin, but as soon as I started asking him questions he got bored with me and started to go back to the computer screen.**

**I said, "Hey, Darrin?"**

**"What?"**

**"What year is it?"**

The gods nodded grimly.

**He frowned at me. "In the game?"**

**"No. In real life."**

**He had to think about it. "1977."**

"Dude!" Leo yelped, "seriously?"

"That's the thing with the Lotus Hotel and Casino, Leo," Annabeth said grimly, "you check in and you almost never check out. Simply because you don't want to."

"You are at the mercy of your own whims," Jason murmured.

**"No," I said, getting a little scared. "Really."**

**"Hey, man. Bad vibes. I got a game happening."**

**After that he totally ignored me.**

**I started talking to people, and I found it wasn't easy. They were glued to the TV screen, or the video game, or their food, or whatever. I found a guy who told me it was 1985. Another guy told me it was 1993. They all claimed they hadn't been in here very long, a few days, a few weeks at most. They didn't really know and they didn't care.**

**Then it occurred to me: how long had I been here? It seemed like only a couple of hours, but was it?**

Poseidon leant forward in his seat, his elbows on his knees. How long _had_ Percy been there?

**I tried to remember why we were here. We were going to Los Angeles. We were supposed to find the entrance to the Underworld. My mother ... for a scary second, I had trouble remembering her name. Sally. Sally Jackson. I had to find her. I had to stop Hades from causing World War III.**

Hades grumbled something, but he was drowned out by Hera.

"This boy," Hera nodded approvingly, "his devotion to his mother is truly refreshing, isn't it? Reminds me of his namesake."

"You didn't like his namesake," Zeus pointed out, his stormy grey eyes rolling.

"Nonsense," Hera sniffed; it was quite obvious by the expression on all of the gods' faces that this was _not_ the case.

**I found Annabeth still building her city.**

**"Come on," I told her. "We've got to get out of here."**

**No response.**

Annabeth winced and Athena frowned worriedly.

**I shook her. "Annabeth?"**

**She looked up, annoyed. "What?''**

**"We need to leave."**

**"Leave? What are you talking about? I've just got the towers—"**

**"This place is a trap."**

**She didn't respond until I shook her again. "What?"**

"It's almost like they crank it up if you suggest leaving," Piper muttered.

**"Listen. The Underworld. Our quest!"**

**"Oh, come on, Percy. Just a few more minutes."**

Athena shook her head and Annabeth winced again, sinking into her seat. Thalia gripped her shoulder comfortingly.

**"Annabeth, there are people here from 1977. Kids who have never aged. You check in, and you stay forever."**

**"So?" she asked. "Can you imagine a better place?"**

Annabeth buried her face in the sleeves of the sweater.

**I grabbed her wrist and yanked her away from the game.**

**"Hey!" She screamed and hit me, but nobody else even bothered looking at us. They were too busy.**

Artemis sucked in a sharp breath. The implications were unmistakeable; how easy would it have been for someone to take advantage of a woman? No one would have even blinked an eye.

**I made her look directly in my eyes. I said, "Spiders. Large, hairy spiders."**

**That jarred her. Her vision cleared. "Oh my gods," she said. "How long have we—"**

"Well, he got to you eventually," Jason murmured.

"It's not like I did it on purpose," Annabeth replied, grimacing.

"Hey, it's fine," Jason said, shaking his head, "it's not like you really knew."

**"I don't know, but we've got to find Grover."**

**We went searching, and found him still playing Virtual Deer Hunter.**

**"Grover!" we both shouted.**

**He said, "Die, human! Die, silly polluting nasty person!"**

**"Grover!"**

**He turned the plastic gun on me and started clicking, as if I were just another image from the screen.**

"Harsh," Leo said, wincing somewhat.

**I looked at Annabeth, and together we took Grover by the arms and dragged him away. His flying shoes sprang to life and started tugging his legs in the other direction as he shouted, "No! I just got to a new level! No!"**

"Bloody satyr," Zeus grumbled, a touch less heat than normal in his voice.

**The Lotus bellhop hurried up to us. "Well, now, are you ready for your platinum cards?"**

**"We're leaving," I told him.**

**"Such a shame," he said, and I got the feeling that he really meant it, that we'd be breaking his heart if we went. "We just added an entire new floor full of games for platinum-card members."**

"Don't do it, man," Leo muttered.

"Leo, this is a book," Jason pointed out, looking amused.

"Shh, don't harsh my vibe."

**He held out the cards, and I wanted one. I knew that if I took one, I'd never leave. I'd stay here, happy forever, playing games forever, and soon I'd forget my mom, and my quest, and maybe even my own name. I'd be playing virtual rifleman with groovy Disco Darrin forever.**

**Grover reached for the card, but Annabeth yanked back his arm and said, "No, thanks."**

"Good," Athena nodded, a hint of relief in her voice.

**We walked toward the door, and as we did, the smell of the food and the sounds of the games seemed to get more and more inviting. I thought about our room upstairs. We could just stay the night, sleep in a real bed for once...**

"No, don't do that," Hermes winced, "you'll sleep and never wake up!"

"Like Clovis," Jason remarked wryly, at the looks he got, he explained with a simple: "Son of Hypnos."

**Then we burst through the doors of the Lotus Casino and ran down the sidewalk. It felt like afternoon, about the same time of day we'd gone into the casino, but something was wrong. The weather had completely changed. It was stormy, with heat lightning flashing out in the desert.**

The gods exchanged glances; this sounded a little close for comfort...

**Ares' backpack was slung over my shoulder, which was odd, because I was sure I had thrown it in the trash can in room 4001, but at the moment I had other problems to worry about.**

"I'll say," Ares grunted.

"Could it be...?" Athena murmured.

"Could _what_ be?" Zeus asked her.

"I'm not sure yet..." Athena replied, her voice still low.

**I ran to the nearest newspaper stand and read the year first. Thank the gods, it was the same year it had been when we went in. Then I noticed the date: June twentieth.**

The group exchanged worrisome looks.

**We had been in the Lotus Casino for five days.**

**We had only one day left until the summer solstice. One day to complete our quest.**

"Chapter's done," Apollo said.

"How about we take a short break?" Hera suggested. "We have... much to talk about."

"Isn't that the truth?" Hermes snorted.

* * *

Annnnnd fifty-five pages.

Alright now, here's the thing. For the past week, every other day I've put up three separate chapters in the same day, but here's the thing. With the length of these chapters, it normally takes me about a full day to fully add new dialogue and this is during the March Break when I don't have anything else to do.

I promise that I'm still going to have chapters going up as fast as I can, but my pace _is_ going to be slowing down. Expect around two to three chapters every week, or maybe more (seeing as how Lightning Thief is my least favourite book of the series, thus the others ones are more fun for me to do). Still, don't expect three every other day.

In any case, I hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	19. Chapter 19

The demigods filed out of the room shortly after the announcement of a break was going to take place. Leo, like before, was the first one on his feet and the first one out the door; Jason was next, helping Piper up before offering his hand to Thalia and Annabeth. Thalia ignored her brother, leaping to her feet gracefully whereas Annabeth took it, letting him help her up. From there, the four other demigods followed the son of Hephaestus' example and left the room.

The gods were silent for a very long time. Demeter was fiddling with her sickle, spinning it slowly in her hands; Hestia's flame red eyes seemed dim and far away; Hera was sitting up straight, as per usual, but her eyes were grim; Hades was lounging in his armchair like he normally did his throne, his staff was held loosely in one hand as the other covered his mouth, his black eyes were fathomless; Poseidon emulated the sea almost entirely, there was no telling what he was thinking in that moment; and Zeus had both of his elbows on his knees and his fingers steepled in front of his face. The other eight gods were watching closely, wondering what was going to happen; they had never faced Kronos before, thus they didn't know what they were up against exactly.

"Father, what do you intend to do?" Athena asked at last.

"Do?" Zeus rumbled. "I don't intend to _do_ anything."

"We can't let him rise, husband," Hera said sharply.

Zeus shot her an irritated look. "I don't intend to do _that_ either."

"Well, you can hardly do nothing and something at the same time," Hades drawled, a flash of annoyance in his eyes. "Or did I somehow misunderstand?"

Zeus glared at him too. "Those demigods were brought here for a reason; I intend to follow through with that."

"Let us go over the prophecy again," Hestia suggested before a temper was lost. "Apollo, do you-?"

"Ah," Apollo was startled out of his reverie, "right; the prophecy goes like this:

_Fates we are, and Fates we see_

_The fate of one of Three glows brightly_

_As passionate as the current; as loyal as the tide_

_To match the one in the dark, biding his time; to strike out at this half-blood_

_To understand, you must see; to see you must feel_

_Your fates are tangled_

_Now we hand you the tools: will you cut, or will you tie?_

_The half and true must be ready_."

"The fate of one of Three glows brightly," Athena repeated. "Can we assume this to be Perseus Jackson?"

"With the next verse, it's practically certain," Artemis replied. "As passionate as the current; as loyal as the tide."

"Then he is the one of the Great Prophecy," Hestia said seriously. "Especially given the following line: To match the one in the dark, biding his time; to strike out at the half-blood."

"What about Thalia?" Artemis pointed out.

"We still don't know how that happened," Apollo replied, "or when. But from the way those kids were acting? It's probably going to be Percy."

"So, we can safely assume that the entire fate of our world relies on the shoulders of a seven year old boy," Dionysus remarked dryly. "Wonderful."

"Kronos is not strong enough to rise yet," Poseidon reminded. "Don't bring Percy into this until we must."

"Is that not what got them into trouble in the first place?" Hades pointed out.

"But this hasn't happened yet," Poseidon countered. "Remember the line: we hand you the tools: will you cut, or will you tie?"

"Essentially, fate is in our hands," Apollo remarked. "We've been given these books to make a difference in what happens."

"Or to warn us," Athena replied. "You cannot change fate."

"Perhaps not the destination," Apollo admitted, "but you _can_ change the journey."

"Make the correct choices so as to limit casualties," Athena nodded slowly. "Yes, that makes sense. And we can start with this Master Bolt nonsense."

"Or we could start earlier than that," Poseidon remarked casually, his eyes pinned to his younger brother. "If one were to lift the ban regarding our children..."

"No," Zeus said shortly. "We are gods, we cannot have too much influence in the mortal realm."

"I'm not saying that we need to totally eradicate the bloody rule," Poseidon rolled his eyes. "But if we could relax it, then-"

"No."

"I... agree with Poseidon," Athena said, sounding as if she had to force the words. "If we could give some sort of guidance, if only in the form of powers-"

"You saw what happened to my boy," Hephaestus spoke suddenly. "He doesn't know how to control his fire; you heard what Poseidon said, his boy doesn't know how to control the water. Those are issues enough!"

"Plus, you heard what they were saying about our children," Hermes added quickly. "You heard of the issues the demigods face; how many problems would we absolve by being at least a guiding figure to our children?"

"I said: no!" Zeus reiterated, sitting up straight. "You may act through Chiron, or through Dionysus. This matter is closed!"

"The matter is _not_ closed," Poseidon refuted, his sea-green eyes dangerously overcast. "If we find, within the following text, further evidence supporting our stances; you _will_ listen to us!"

For a moment, there was nothing. Zeus was sitting up straight in his seat, his Master Bolt flickering, sparking, dangerously in his hand as lightning flashed outside. Poseidon was casually reclined in his armchair, but his entire body was tensed as if he were just waiting to lash out. Apollo, being the poet that he was, couldn't help but compare it to a line on a ship in the middle of a lightning storm. The waves are high and choppy, the lightning flashing dangerously as dark clouds swirled overhead ominously. The lines to the sail are lashed tight, but at the slightest provocation, they might snap at any minute, sending the entire crew into a full-fledged panic as they attempt to rectify the situation.

Very painstakingly slowly, Zeus relaxed back into his seat. "Very well," he said, his voice gravelly and rough. "We shall read the five books thoroughly and take into account all the information at the end. From there, we shall make a decision regarding the demigods."

Poseidon relaxed at this. "Very well." He replied.

With only the barest hint of a pause, Athena stood gracefully. "Then, if that is all," she said, "I wish to speak with my daughter." And without a further word, she swept out the room.

Annabeth stood on one of the stone bridges in Olympus; the city bustled below as clouds swam by lazily. It was a nice day, all things considered. Just a touch cooler than normal, an overcast day with the barest hint of rain coming in. It still made her head spin to know that she was thousands of feet in the air; her blonde hair being tugged by a lazy wind. Annabeth was leaning against the stone rail, her elbows placed against it with her bead necklace in her hands; her father's ring being twirled slowly.

"He is a good man, you know."

Annabeth jumped and whirled about, her heart pounding at the sudden voice behind her. As soon as she registered who it was, Annabeth could feel her cheeks burn.

"Hi, Mom," she said with embarrassment.

Athena looked amused, her eyebrows raised. "Annabeth."

"Sorry, I was just-"

"Deep in thought?" Athena suggested, coming to rest against the stone rail beside her. "Yes, I know the feeling."

"Yeah..." Annabeth replied, tugging her necklace back over her head.

"I mean it, however," Athena said, watching the gold band rest against the hollow of her daughter's throat. "Your father is a good man."

"I know," Annabeth replied softly, looking out over Olympus. "I meant it, when I said that we're on better terms now. But then..."

"I can imagine it was difficult for him," Athena said, studying her daughter. "Frederick made an excellent mad scientist, but he -like me- wished to find the logical connection. I'm afraid that a child conceived of the mind is a little much for some mortals."

Annabeth looked over at her. "I realize that now... but then? I thought..."

"That the arguments were your fault?" Athena suggested gently. "Yes... most children would. In your case, however, you know that it was. Tis your blood." Annabeth nodded, a faint frown marring her features; Athena smiled sadly.

"My daughter," she continued, "you are one of my beloved children, regardless of whether or not I may show it. I would not change you for the world; and your father would not either. I know that you listen to young Perseus story with his mother and his devotion to her or hers to him and all you can feel is jealousy. But here is something you do not know. When you ran away at seven years of age, your father did something that he had not in many a moon. Do you know what it was?"

"No," Annabeth replied honestly, a touch of confusion in her eyes.

"He prayed to me," Athena said, gently brushing a lock of hair from Annabeth's face. "He prayed that I would find you and guide you. Every night you were gone, he prayed to me. And the day he found you were gone? He got into a horrible fight with your step-mother, yelling at her particularly loudly when he found out about your tale of the spiders."

Annabeth couldn't help but give a shudder at the name, causing Athena to smile in sympathy. "Indeed," she remarked. "Your father loves you, my daughter. He always has."

"Dad's just a little daft," Annabeth said, looking up at her mother. "Right?"

Athena chuckled lightly. "Exactly so."

"...thank you, Mom," Annabeth said after a moment.

Athena gently smoothed Annabeth's hair away from her face and pressed a kiss to her brow. "You are more than welcome, my daughter." Was all she said in reply. "Now come; back to the room."

It was little over an hour later when everyone had regathered in the room. The coffee table was covered with various refreshments such as coffee, cookies, chips, teas, biscuits, and pop. Annabeth smoothly slid into her spot next to Thalia and took the proffered coke from her. After a few moments of chatter, Zeus called for their attention.

"Who shall read the next chapter?" He asked.

"I will," Athena replied calmly, taking the book gently. Cracking it open, she began to read. "Chapter seventeen: We Shop for Water Beds."

* * *

Note: if I ever have a placeholder chapter (such as this one) I will always _always_ be posting another normal chapter up with it. Placeholders are all well and good, but you came to hear reactions the story is only secondary. Am I right? ;)

I never see enough Annabeth-Athena interactions. I suppose it's a difficult relationship to match. I mean, with Poseidon we know that he adores Percy; we even know with Hermes that he is incredibly close with his kids. But we never see that kind of reaction with the others gods; it makes it difficult to write. Finding the balance between familial and standoffish.

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	20. Chapter 20

**We Shop For Water Beds**

"Well, it's not like the world is about to end or anything," Hades drawled sarcastically.

"It's not like we- oh, forget it," Annabeth grumbled, looking vaguely irritated until Thalia pushed a coffee mug into her hands.

**It was Annabeth's idea. She loaded us into the back of a Vegas taxi as if we actually had money, and told the driver, "Los Angeles, please."**

"Yeah, the whole lack-of-money thing, might bite you in the ass," Leo pointed out, cocking a brow despite the grin on his face.

**The cabbie chewed his cigar and sized us up. "That's three hundred miles. For that, you gotta pay up front."**

**"You accept casino debit cards?" Annabeth asked.**

"Ah," Athena nodded approvingly. "That just might work."

**He shrugged. "Some of 'em. Same as credit cards. I gotta swipe 'em through first."**

**Annabeth handed him her green LotusCash card.**

"Damn," Apollo whistled. "There's going to be _so_ much money on that thing."

**He looked at it skeptically.**

**"Swipe it," Annabeth invited.**

**He did.**

**His meter machine started rattling. The lights flashed. Finally an infinity symbol came up next to the dollar sign.**

"Holy crap!" Leo said, his eyes going wide. "There goes the money problem."

**The cigar fell out of the driver's mouth. He looked back at us, his eyes wide. "Where to in Los Angeles... uh, Your Highness?"**

**"The Santa Monica Pier." Annabeth sat up a little straighter. I could tell she liked the "Your Highness" thing.**

Annabeth flushed, grinning.

**"Get us there fast, and you can keep the change."**

**Maybe she shouldn't have told him that. The cab's speedometer never dipped below ninety-five the whole way through the Mojave Desert.**

"Please, that's slow," Ares snorted.

"For a god, maybe," Piper shook her head. "In a city? That's like... a death wish."

"Interesting choice of words," Leo commented idly, popping the tab on a coke can, "seeing as how they're heading to the underworld."

**On the road, we had plenty of time to talk. I told Annabeth and Grover about my latest dream, but the details got sketchier the more I tried to remember them. The Lotus Casino seemed to have short-circuited my memory. **

"Or _he_ had," Poseidon remarked grimly. "Percy was trespassing on his domain; I would not put it past him."

"It does seem the most likely," Hestia nodded quietly.

**I couldn't recall what the invisible servant's voice had sounded like, though I was sure it was somebody I knew. The servant had called the monster in the pit something other than "my lord" ... some special name or title...**

Zeus grimaced.

**"The Silent One?" Annabeth suggested. "The Rich One? Both of those are nicknames for Hades."**

Hades rolled his eyes.

**"Maybe ..." I said, though neither sounded quite right.**

**"That throne room sounds like Hades'," Grover said. "That's the way it's usually described."**

"Which he probably did on purpose," Hades pointed out silkily.

**I shook my head. "Something's wrong. The throne room wasn't the main part of the dream. And that voice from the pit ... I don't know. It just didn't feel like a god's voice."**

**Annabeth's eyes widened.**

"You've put it together," Zeus said, pinning his eyes on Annabeth.

She grimaced. "I had a hunch. But I hoped I was wrong."

"Don't we all," Hera muttered.

**"What?" I asked.**

**"Oh ... nothing. I was just—No, it _has _to be Hades. Maybe he sent this thief, this invisible person, to get the master bolt, and something went wrong—"**

**"Like what?"**

**"I—I don't know," she said. "But if he stole Zeus' symbol of power from Olympus, and the gods were hunting him, I mean, a lot of things could go wrong.**

"I think 'wrong' is a little tame given the circumstances," Hermes said wryly, looking up from the text he was typing.

**So this thief had to hide the bolt, or he lost it somehow. Anyway, he failed to bring it to Hades.**

Hades scowled.

**That's what the voice said in your dream, right? The guy failed. That would explain what the Furies were searching for when they came after us on the bus. Maybe they thought we had retrieved the bolt."**

**I wasn't sure what was wrong with her. She looked pale.**

**"But if I'd already retrieved the bolt," I said, "why would I be travelling to the Underworld?"**

**"To threaten Hades," Grover suggested. "To bribe or blackmail him into getting your mom back."**

"But then, why wouldn't he just kill him to get the bolt?" Leo asked. "I mean, what would be so important to keep Percy alive?"

"Because Poseidon would be rather annoyed if Hades killed his son," Thalia replied dryly.

"That would be an understatement," Poseidon remarked, his tone just as dry.

**I whistled. "You have evil thoughts for a goat."**

**"Why, thank you."**

**"But the thing in the pit said it was waiting for _two _items," I said. "If the master bolt is one, what's the other?"**

"I have an idea..." Athena remarked slowly.

"Well, don't hold us in suspense," Dionysus muttered.

Athena shook her head dismissively. "I have no proof. We'll learn the answer soon enough, I'm sure."

"Of course," Dionysus rolled his eyes.

**Grover shook his head, clearly mystified. Annabeth was looking at me as if she knew my next question, and was silently willing me not to ask it.**

**"You have an idea what might be in that pit, don't you?" I asked her. "I mean, if it isn't Hades?"**

"And of course he goes and asks for it anyways," Thalia laughed quietly, nibbling on a cookie.

**"Percy ... let's not talk about it. Because if it isn't Hades ... No. It has to be Hades."**

"And that line pretty much sums up what everyone is feeling," Apollo muttered.

**Wasteland rolled by. We passed a sign that said CALIFORNIA STATE LINE, 12 MILES.**

**I got the feeling I was missing one simple, critical piece of information. It was like when I stared at a common word I should know, but I couldn't make sense of it because one or two letters were floating around.**

The demigods all looked like they sympathized.

**The more I thought about my quest, the more I was sure that confronting Hades wasn't the real answer. There was something else going on, something even more dangerous.**

Athena nodded. "Though I prefer logic over gut-instinct, Perseus is fairly accurate."

**The problem was: we were hurtling toward the Underworld at ninety-five miles an hour, betting that Hades had the master bolt. If we got there and found out we were wrong, we wouldn't have time to correct ourselves.**

"That is a problem," Demeter muttered, shaking her head.

**The solstice deadline would pass and war would begin.**

**"The answer is in the Underworld," Annabeth assured me. "You saw spirits of the dead, Percy. There's only one place that could be.**

"Nobody denied that there were answers in the Underworld," Hades muttered with a scoff.

**We're doing the right thing."**

**She tried to boost our morale by suggesting clever strategies for getting into the Land of the Dead, but my heart wasn't in it. There were just too many unknown factors.**

"Unfortunately, there are moments when plans cannot help," Athena sighed.

"What can go wrong, will go wrong?" Piper suggested, cradling a tea in one hand.

"Exactly so," she replied, "the mark of a good strategist is being able to make plans in the centre of a battlefield."

"I find that I do my best work under intense terror," Leo grinned.

"Criminal Minds," Piper named and Leo just laughed and nodded.

**It was like cramming for a test without knowing the subject. And believe me; I'd done _that _enough times.**

"That sounds like an interesting story," Apollo chuckled wryly.

**The cab sped west. Every gust of wind through Death Valley sounded like a spirit of the dead. Every time the brakes hissed on an eighteen-wheeler, it reminded me of Echidna's reptilian voice.**

"Jumpy little blighter," Ares snorted, shaking his head.

**At sunset, the taxi dropped us at the beach in Santa Monica. It looked exactly the way L.A. beaches do in the movies, only it smelled worse.**

"Yeah, LA isn't as awesome as everyone makes it out to be," Piper remarked, shaking her head.

**There were carnival rides lining the Pier, palm trees lining the sidewalks, homeless guys sleeping in the sand dunes, and surfer dudes waiting for the perfect wave.**

**Grover, Annabeth, and I walked down to the edge of the surf.**

"I had forgotten you had called him," Demeter remarked offhandedly.

**"What now?" Annabeth asked.**

**The Pacific was turning gold in the setting sun. I thought about how long it had been since I'd stood on the beach at Montauk, on the opposite side of the country, looking out at a different sea.**

Annabeth sighed. "Just the beginning seemed so long ago; that must've felt like a lifetime."

**How could there be a god who could control all that? What did my science teacher used to say—two-thirds of the earth's surface was covered in water? How could I be the son of someone that powerful?**

Poseidon's smirk had a smug edge to it, though mostly he seemed fond. Zeus and Hades just rolled their eyes.

**I stepped into the surf**

**"Percy?" Annabeth said. "What are you doing?"**

**I kept walking, up to my waist, then my chest.**

"Ignored," Leo snickered.

"In all fairness," Jason replied, "I think Percy is acting more on instinct right now; the water was calling to him."

**She called after me, "You know how polluted that water is?**

"Unfortunately, yes," Poseidon sighed, running a hand through his hair. "If you had but lived on this world three hundred years ago..."

**There're all kinds of toxic—"**

**That's when my head went under.**

"One way to ignore her," Thalia teased Annabeth, making her roll her eyes playfully.

**I held my breath at first. It's difficult to intentionally inhale water.**

"Yeah, Percy got over _that_ quickly enough," Annabeth shook her head.

**Finally I couldn't stand it anymore. I gasped. Sure enough, I could breathe normally.**

**I walked down into the shoals. I shouldn't have been able to see through the murk, but somehow I could tell where everything was. I could sense the rolling texture of the bottom. I could make out sand-dollar colonies dotting the sandbars. I could even see the currents, warm and cold streams swirling together.**

"Cool," Leo whistled.

"It sounds less like a sight-thing and more of a sense-thing," Piper said, looking just as awed.

"You cannot see underwater the same way you see on land," Poseidon said, his eyes glimmering mischievously. "In this case, the little that Percy can see in the traditional sense is amplified by his other senses."

"Like his mind is filling in the blank spaces," Annabeth remarked, her grey eyes sparking. "Brilliant."

**I felt something rub against my leg. I looked down and almost shot out of the water like a ballistic missile. Sliding along beside me was a five-foot-long mako shark. But the thing wasn't attacking. It was nuzzling me. Heeling like a dog.**

"That is _so_ cool!" Leo said, bouncing in his seat, almost upturning the bowl of chips in front of him. "Dude, I want a shark-dog! I want a frickin shark with frickin laser beams attached to it's frickin head!"

"Thank you, Doctor Evil," Piper snorted, rolling her eyes.

"I-!"

"No, no, don't tell me," Piper cut him off, smirking, "you regret nothing?"

"Booyeah!"

**Tentatively, I touched its dorsal fin. It bucked a little, as if inviting me to hold tighter. I grabbed the fin with both hands. It took off, pulling me along.**

"Alright, that's pretty epic," Apollo chuckled.

**The shark carried me down into the darkness. It deposited me at the edge of the ocean proper, where the sand bank dropped off into a huge chasm. It was like standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon at midnight, not being able to see much, but knowing the void was right there.**

"Creepy," Jason muttered, his blue eyes curious.

**The surface shimmered maybe a hundred and fifty feet above. I knew I should've been crushed by the pressure. Then again, I shouldn't have been able to breathe. I wondered if there was a limit to how deep I could go, if I could sink straight to the bottom of the Pacific.**

"He could, if he wanted," Poseidon answered simply. "Percy is my son, he'll be able to go anywhere in any body of water."

"Even the Marianas Trench?" Piper asked, surprised.

Poseidon nodded in response, chuckling faintly.

**Then I saw something glimmering in the darkness below, growing bigger and brighter as it rose toward me. A woman's voice, like my mother's, called: "Percy Jackson."**

**As she got closer, her shape became clearer. She had flowing black hair, a dress made of green silk.**

"A Nereid?" Athena questioned, cocking a brow curiously. Poseidon inclined his head.

**Light flickered around her, and her eyes were so distractingly beautiful I hardly noticed the stallion-sized sea horse she was riding.**

"Hippocampi," Annabeth murmured.

**She dismounted. The sea horse and the mako shark whisked off and started playing something that looked like tag.**

"It probably is," Poseidon chuckled. "It's a favourite of theirs."

**The underwater lady smiled at me. "You've come far, Percy Jackson. Well done."**

**I wasn't quite sure what to do, so I bowed. "You're the woman who spoke to me in the Mississippi River."**

**"Yes, child. I am a Nereid, a spirit of the sea. It was not easy to appear so far upriver, but the naiads, my freshwater cousins, helped sustain my life force. They honour Lord Poseidon, though they do not serve in his court."**

"Why not?"

"Because, Leo, I rule primarily in salt water," Poseidon responded, giving him a small smile. "It wouldn't be impossible for them to enter salt water, but it would not be comfortable. Thus, I let them to stay within their preferred waters rather then coming into mine."

"Ohhh."

**"And ... you serve in Poseidon's court?"**

**She nodded. "It has been many years since a child of the Sea God has been born. We have watched you with great interest."**

Poseidon chuckled quietly, feeling considerably more cheerful this chapter than prior ones (even though his brothers were giving him irritated looks).

**Suddenly I remembered faces in the waves off Montauk Beach when I was a little boy, reflections of smiling women. Like so many of the weird things in my life, I'd never given it much thought before.**

"I'm pretty sure I missed a number of things that way too," Piper admitted, shaking her head. "Though I could've done without the 'thief' thing."

"The what?" Aphrodite frowned.

Piper flushed. "I, um, inherited the charmspeak. I could normally go up and ask someone for something and they'd just give it to me... but then, later... Once they realized something was gone? Well, they couldn't exactly say that they _gave_ it to me, could they?"

"Ooh, tough break, dovey," Apollo winced sympathetically.

Piper smiled faintly and just shrugged, sipping her tea quietly.

**"If my father is so interested in me," I said, "why isn't he here? Why doesn't he speak to me?"**

Poseidon winced at that, his smile fading back into his brooding frown.

**A cold current rose out of the depths.**

"Did you manage to hear that?" Annabeth asked him quietly.

Poseidon looked at her but didn't respond.

**"Do not judge the Lord of the Sea too harshly," the Nereid told me. "He stands at the brink of an unwanted war. He has much to occupy his time. Besides, he is forbidden to help you directly. The gods may not show such favouritism."**

It was interesting, Annabeth thought, to see the different reactions the gods had to that sentence. Some looked defiant, others just looked sad, a couple looked like they wholly agreed, and more still just looked like they didn't care either way.

**"Even to their own children?"**

**"Especially to them. The gods can work by indirect influence only. That is why I give you a warning, and a gift."**

**She held out her hand. Three white pearls flashed in her palm.**

"Pearls?" Zeus shot his brother a hard look.

"So it would seem," Poseidon replied lightly.

**"I know you journey to Hades' realm," she said. "Few mortals have ever done this and survived: Orpheus, who had great music skill; Hercules, who had great strength; Houdini, who could escape even the depths of Tartarus. Do you have these talents?"**

**"Urn ... no, ma'am."**

Athena looked surprised as she read this, and Artemis' head jerked slightly as she heard this.

"Surprising," Hermes murmured, voicing the thoughts of most in the room.

**"Ah, but you have something else, Percy. You have gifts you have only begun to know. The oracles have foretold a great and terrible future for you, should you survive to manhood. Poseidon would not have you die before your time.**

"Of course not," Poseidon murmured, shaking his head.

"Why?" Hades' voice was snide. "Do you wish to make your child the one of the prophecy, brother?"

"I would wish such a fate on no child," Poseidon replied, a touch of rebuke in his words, "least of all my own."

"Pretty words," Hades snorted, "I wonder how much of it is true."

"Nothing rings false," Apollo remarked, grimacing at the look he was given by the god of death, "don't look at me like that! I'm the god of truth; I can sense these sort of things, you know."

Hades didn't look convinced, but Poseidon didn't look like he particularly cared.

**Therefore take these, and when you are in need, smash a pearl at your feet."**

**"What will happen?"**

**"That," she said, "depends on the need. But remember: what belongs to the sea will always return to the sea."**

Annabeth smiled faintly.

**"What about the warning?"**

**Her eyes flickered with green light. "Go with what your heart tells you, or you will lose all. Hades feeds on doubt and hopelessness. He will trick you if he can, make you mistrust your own judgement. Once you are in his realm, he will never willingly let you leave.**

Thalia and Annabeth exchanged looks, having heard the account of what Hades had attempted to do to Percy before the battle for Olympus.

**Keep faith. Good luck, Percy Jackson."**

**She summoned her sea horse and rode toward the void.**

**"Wait!" I called. "At the river, you said not to trust the gifts. What gifts?"**

**"Goodbye, young hero,"**

"Well, that's helpful," Jason snorted, shaking his head.

**she called back, her voice fading into the depths. "You must listen to your heart." She became a speck of glowing green, and then she was gone.**

**I wanted to follow her down into the darkness. I wanted to see the court of Poseidon.**

Poseidon chuckled quietly, twirling his trident idly.

**But I looked up at the sunset darkening on the surface. My friends were waiting. We had so little time...**

**I kicked upward toward the shore.**

**When I reached the beach, my clothes dried instantly. I told Grover and Annabeth what had happened, and showed them the pearls.**

**Annabeth grimaced. "No gift comes without a price."**

Leo frowned and looked up at that. "This... isn't the gift she was warning about. But I swear, it's the only one they've gotten."

"They got the backpack," Piper pointed out, though she sounded uncertain.

"But that's more of an exchange," Leo shook his head, "maybe they'll get something else."

"No, I think Piper's onto something," Jason replied. "Remember what Ares said? 'Here's a little something for doing the job'."

"But that doesn't necessarily imply a gift," Leo countered.

"Isn't exactly an exchange either, though," Piper said.

"How about we just read and find out as we go along?" Annabeth interceded smoothly.

Athena inclined her head and continued to read.

**"They were free."**

**"No." She shook her head. "'There is no such thing as a free lunch.' That's an ancient Greek saying that translated pretty well into American. There will be a price. You wait."**

Poseidon frowned darkly, looking rather irritated at this.

**On that happy thought, we turned our backs on the sea.**

**With some spare change from Ares' backpack, we took the bus into West Hollywood.**

"I thought you said no more buses?" Apollo snickered.

"We were on a time crunch," Annabeth replied wryly.

**I showed the driver the Underworld address slip I'd taken from Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium, but he'd never heard of DOA Recording Studios.**

**"You remind me of somebody I saw on TV," he told me. "You a child actor or something?"**

**"Uh ... I'm a stunt double ... for a lot of child actors."**

Hermes chortled briefly.

**"Oh! That explains it."**

Apollo joined Hermes when he began to laugh this time; it was one thing to tell such a lie, another thing to _believe_ such a lie.

**We thanked him and got off quickly at the next stop. We wandered for miles on foot, looking for DOA. Nobody seemed to know where it was. It didn't appear in the phone book.**

**Twice, we ducked into alleys to avoid cop cars.**

"Good plan," Hermes chuckled.

**I froze in front of an appliance-store window because a television was playing an interview with somebody who looked very familiar—my stepdad, Smelly Gabe. He was talking to Barbara Walters—I mean, as if he were some kind of huge celebrity. She was interviewing him in our apartment, in the middle of a poker game, and there was a young blond lady sitting next to him, patting his hand.**

Poseidon's teeth grit and he scowled darkly; but he was hardly the only one to look infuriated.

**A fake tear glistened on his cheek. He was saying, "Honest, Ms. Walters, if it wasn't for Sugar here, my grief counsellor, I'd be a wreck. My stepson took everything I cared about. My wife... my Camaro...**

"Despicable," Hera seethed, "placing a partner on the same level as your car."

**I—I'm sorry. I have trouble talking about it."**

**"There you have it, America." Barbara Walters turned to the camera. "A man torn apart. An adolescent boy with serious issues.**

Annabeth and Thalia snorted.

**Let me show you, again, the last known photo of this troubled young fugitive, taken a week ago in Denver."**

**The screen cut to a grainy shot of me, Annabeth, and Grover standing outside the Colorado diner, talking to Ares.**

"Great," Ares grunted, folding his arms across his chest.

**"Who are the other children in this photo?" Barbara Walters asked dramatically. "Who is the man with them? Is Percy Jackson a delinquent, a terrorist, or perhaps the brainwashed victim of a frightening new cult?**

"He's brainwashed," Thalia said decisively.

"With what?"

"Insanity."

"Makes sense," Annabeth giggled faintly.

**When we come back, we chat with a leading child psychologist. Stay tuned, America."**

**"C'mon," Grover told me. He hauled me away before I could punch a hole in the appliance-store window.**

**It got dark, and hungry-looking characters started coming out on the streets to play. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm a New Yorker. I don't scare easy.**

The demigods chuckled and a good portion of the gods looked faintly amused.

**But L.A. had a totally different feel from New York. Back home, everything seemed close. It didn't matter how big the city was, you could get anywhere without getting lost. The street pattern and the subway made sense. There was a system to how things worked. A kid could be safe as long as he wasn't stupid.**

"Sounds like he's homesick," Aphrodite remarked offhand.

**L.A. wasn't like that. It was spread out, chaotic, hard to move around. It reminded me of Ares. It wasn't enough for L.A. to be big; it had to prove it was big by being loud and strange and difficult to navigate, too.**

"I am... peculiarly fond of that analogy," Artemis chuckled quietly.

Ares just shot her a scowl.

**I didn't know how we were ever going to find the entrance to the Underworld by tomorrow, the summer solstice.**

**We walked past gangbangers, bums, and street hawkers, who looked at us like they were trying to figure if we were worth the trouble of mugging.**

"That would not be good," Jason muttered.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," Leo said, giving a sarcastic salute with his pop can.

"Anytime, Lieutenant Sarcasm," Jason retorted, giving a mock-bow.

"Ooh, snippy," Leo laughed.

**As we hurried passed the entrance of an alley, a voice from the darkness said, "Hey, you."**

**Like an idiot, I stopped.**

A cacophony of groans rose from the peanut gallery.

**Before I knew it, we were surrounded. A gang of kids had circled us. Six of them in all—white kids with expensive clothes and mean faces. Like the kids at Yancy Academy: rich brats playing at being bad boys.**

"Ugh," Piper huffed, crossing her arms irritably.

**Instinctively, I uncapped Riptide.**

"Like that's going to help you," Dionysus snorted,

**When the sword appeared out of nowhere, the kids backed off, but their leader was either really stupid or really brave, because he kept coming at me with a switchblade.**

**I made the mistake of swinging.**

Ares snorted and shook his head.

**The kid yelped. But he must've been one hundred per cent mortal, because the blade passed harmlessly right through his chest. He looked down. "What the ..."**

**I figured I had about three seconds before his shock turned to anger. "Run!" I screamed at Annabeth and Grover.**

"Good plan."

**We pushed two kids out of the way and raced down the street, not knowing where we were going. We turned a sharp corner.**

**"There!" Annabeth shouted.**

**Only one store on the block looked open, its windows glaring with neon. The sign above the door said something like CRSTUY'S WATRE BDE ALPACE.**

**"Crusty's Water Bed Palace?" Grover translated.**

"Well, now I'm curious," Leo laughed.

"Curious?" Jason asked.

"Yeah, I want to see how it goes wrong _this_ time."

A number of people laughed at that.

**It didn't sound like a place I'd ever go except in an emergency, but this definitely qualified.**

**We burst through the doors, ran behind a waterbed, and ducked. A split second later, the gang kids ran past outside.**

"Duck and waterbed!" Leo hollered.

"Shut up, Leo!" Piper told him, giggling as she tugged him into his spot.

**"I think we lost them," Grover panted.**

**A voice behind us boomed, "Lost who?"**

"Because that's not creepy," Apollo remarked.

**We all jumped.**

**Standing behind us was a guy who looked like a raptor in a leisure suit. He was at least seven feet tall, with absolutely no hair. He had grey, leathery skin, thick-lidded eyes, and a cold, reptilian smile. He moved toward us slowly, but I got the feeling he could move fast if he needed to.**

"Why do I get the odd sense that he's a monster?" Hermes drawled.

_Probably because it is_, Martha hissed.

_Unless it's a titan,_ George replied. _Then they might be in some serious hawk's claws._

"That's not helping," Hermes rolled his eyes.

"It's like he had Siri before Siri was cool," Leo snickered in an aside to Jason.

"Or before it was invented," Jason retorted, rolling his eyes.

"That too."

**His suit might've come from the Lotus Casino. It belonged back in the seventies, big-time.**

Aphrodite wrinkled her nose in distaste.

**The shirt was silk paisley, unbuttoned halfway down his hairless chest. The lapels on his velvet jacket were as wide as landing strips. The silver chains around his neck—I couldn't even count them.**

**"I'm Crusty," he said, with a tartar-yellow smile.**

**I resisted the urge to say, _Yes, you are._**

Faint chuckles echoed in the room.

**"Sorry to barge in," I told him. "We were just, um, browsing."**

**"You mean hiding from those no-good kids," he grumbled. "They hang around every night. I get a lot of people in here, thanks to them. Say, you want to look at a water bed?"**

"Look, sure," Annabeth muttered sarcastically, "try, no."

**I was about to say _No, thanks, _when he put a huge paw on my shoulder and steered me deeper into the showroom. There was every kind of water bed you could imagine: different kinds of wood, different patterns of sheets; queen-size, king-size, emperor-of-the-universe-size.**

"One emperor-of-the-universe to go, please," Leo sniggered.

**"This is my most popular model." Crusty spread his hands proudly over a bed covered with black satin sheets, with built-in Lava Lamps on the headboard. The mattress vibrated, so it looked like oil-flavoured Jell-O.**

"Gross," Apollo chuckled, shaking his head.

**"Million-hand massage," Crusty told us. "Go on, try it out. Shoot, take a nap. I don't care. No business today, anyway."**

"Gee, wonder why," Annabeth muttered into her coffee.

**"Um," I said, "I don't think ..."**

**"Million-hand massage!" Grover cried, and dove in. "Oh, you guys! This is cool."**

Zeus rolled his eyes skyward, sneering faintly.

**"Hmm," Crusty said, stroking his leathery chin. "Almost, almost."**

**"Almost what?" I asked.**

Athena frowned as she read, curious as to who he was.

**He looked at Annabeth. "Do me a favour and try this one over here, honey. Might fit."**

**Annabeth said, "But what—"**

**He patted her reassuringly on the shoulder and led her over to the Safari Deluxe model with teakwood lions carved into the frame and a leopard-patterned comforter. When Annabeth didn't want to lie down, Crusty pushed her.**

Artemis sat up straight, looking indignant over the treatment of a maiden.

**"Hey!" she protested.**

**Crusty snapped his fingers. _"Ergo!"_**

**Ropes sprang from the sides of the bed, lashing around Annabeth, holding her to the mattress.**

Poseidon groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Procrustes."

"Ah yes," Demeter remarked, "kill them with kindness."

**Grover tried to get up, but ropes sprang from his black-satin bed, too, and lashed him down.**

**"N-not c-c-cool!" he yelled, his voice vibrating from the million-hand massage. "N-not c-cool a-at all!"**

"No, it isn't," Apollo shook his head.

**The giant looked at Annabeth, then turned toward me and grinned. "Almost, darn it."**

**I tried to step away, but his hand shot out and clamped around the back of my neck. "Whoa, kid. Don't worry. We'll find you one in a sec."**

Poseidon frowned darkly.

**"Let my friends go."**

**"Oh, sure I will. But I got to make them fit, first."**

**"What do you mean?"**

**"All the beds are exactly six feet, see? Your friends are too short. Got to make them fit."**

"Jeez, Annabeth," Thalia said dryly, "what's wrong with you? Being so short."

"Witty," Annabeth deadpanned, her mouth twitching tellingly.

**Annabeth and Grover kept struggling.**

**"Can't stand imperfect measurements," Crusty muttered. _"Ergo!"_**

**A new set of ropes leaped out from the top and bottom of the beds, wrapping around Grover and Annabeth's ankles, then around their armpits. The ropes started tightening, pulling my friends from both ends.**

Athena sat up straight as she read, her brow furrowing.

**"Don't worry," Crusty told me, "These are stretching jobs. Maybe three extra inches on their spines. They might even live. Now why don't we find a bed you like, huh?"**

**"Percy!" Grover yelled.**

**My mind was racing. I knew I couldn't take on this giant water-bed salesman alone. He would snap my neck before I ever got my sword out.**

"Ah... wuss!" Ares groaned.

"He knows his limits," Artemis shot, "that is commendable."

**"Your real name's not Crusty, is it?" I asked.**

**"Legally, it's Procrustes," he admitted.**

**"The Stretcher," I said. I remembered the story: the giant who'd tried to kill Theseus with excess hospitality on his way to Athens.**

Poseidon grumbled something irritably.

**"Yeah," the salesman said. "But who can pronounce _Procrustes? _Bad for business. Now 'Crusty,' anybody can say that."**

**"You're right. It's got a good ring to it."**

"What... are you doing?" Leo asked, cocking a brow.

**His eyes lit up. "You think so?"**

**"Oh, absolutely," I said. "And the workmanship on these beds? Fabulous!"**

A smile slowly stretched across Athena's mouth as she realized what Percy was trying to pull.

**He grinned hugely, but his fingers didn't loosen on my neck. "I tell my customers that. Every time. Nobody bothers to look at the workmanship. How many built-in Lava Lamp headboards have you seen?"**

**"Not too many."**

"For good reason," Apollo snickered.

**"That's right!"**

**"Percy!" Annabeth yelled. "What are you doing?"**

**"Don't mind her," I told Procrustes. "She's impossible."**

Annabeth rolled her eyes skyward as the other demigods chuckled good-naturedly.

**The giant laughed. "All my customers are. Never six feet exactly. So inconsiderate.**

Leo choked on a laugh.

**And then they complain about the fitting."**

**"What do you do if they're longer than six feet?"**

**"Oh, that happens all the time. It's a simple fix."**

**He let go of my neck, but before I could react, he reached behind a nearby sales desk and brought out a huge double-bladed brass axe.**

"Pleasant," Jason remarked dryly.

**He said, "I just centre the subject as best I can and lop off whatever hangs over on either end."**

**"Ah," I said, swallowing hard. "Sensible."**

**"I'm so glad to come across an intelligent customer!"**

"That is, quite possibly, the most irritating thing in the world," Annabeth said, her expression sour. "When people confuse complacency for intelligence. It's basically saying that if you have a differing opinion, it doesn't matter how intelligent or well-put together it is; it's stupid because it's different."

**The ropes were really stretching my friends now. Annabeth was turning pale. Grover made gurgling sounds, like a strangled goose.**

**"So, Crusty ..." I said, trying to keep my voice light. I glanced at the sales tag on the valentine-shaped Honeymoon Special. "Does this one really have dynamic stabilizers to stop wave motion?"**

"Anyone else find it ironic that he chooses the one bed that _stops the waves_?" Leo cackled.

Jason chuckled. "You're crazy, man."

"Agreed!" He laughed.

**"Absolutely. Try it out."**

**"Yeah, maybe I will. But would it work even for a big guy like you? No waves at all?"**

**"Guaranteed."**

**"No way."**

**"Way."**

**"Show me."**

Those who hadn't caught on earlier, now began to laugh quietly.

**He sat down eagerly on the bed, patted the mattress. "No waves. See?"**

**I snapped my fingers. _"Ergo."_**

"Smart lad," Hephaestus grunted offhandedly.

**Ropes lashed around Crusty and flattened him against the mattress.**

**"Hey!" he yelled.**

**"Centre him just right," I said.**

**The ropes readjusted themselves at my command. Crusty's whole head stuck out the top. His feet stuck out the bottom.**

**"No!" he said. "Wait! This is just a demo."**

"Too bad," Jason muttered.

**I uncapped Riptide. "A few simple adjustments ..."**

**I had no qualms about what I was about to do. If Crusty were human, I couldn't hurt him anyway. If he was a monster, he deserved to turn into dust for a while.**

Ares nodded, a dark smirk on his face.

**"You drive a hard bargain," he told me. "I'll give you thirty percent off on selected floor models.'"**

**"I think I'll start with the top." I raised my sword.**

**"No money down! No interest for six months!"**

**I swung the sword. Crusty stopped making offers.**

"Good," Piper chuckled.

**I cut the ropes on the other beds. Annabeth and Grover got to their feet, groaning and wincing and cursing me a lot.**

**"You look taller," I said.**

**"Very funny," Annabeth said. "Be faster next time."**

The room chuckled and Aphrodite smirked smugly.

**I looked at the bulletin board behind Crusty's sales desk. There was an advertisement for Hermes Delivery Service, and another for the All-New Compendium of L.A. Area Monsters—"The only Monstrous Yellow Pages you'll ever need!" Under that, a bright orange flier for DOA Recording Studios, offering commissions for heroes' souls. "We are always looking for new talent!" DOA's address was right underneath with a map.**

"Convenient," Hades sighed, rolling his eyes.

**"Come on," I told my friends.**

**"Give us a minute," Grover complained. "We were almost stretched to death.'"**

**"Then you're ready for the Underworld,"**

The room scoffed.

**I said. "It's only a block from here."**

"That is that," Athena said calmly.

"If they're going into my domain, I want to read this," Hades snorted. Taking the book, he opened and looked, for all the world, like an angsty poet. Chapter eighteen: Annabeth Does Obedience School."

* * *

So... many... _references!_

Well, this was fun. I'm just finishing up adding dialogue to the last few chapters of _The Lightning Thief_ and then I'll be making a change-over chapter in which we gain a few more readers and then voilá! We'll be starting the _Sea of Monsters_.

Tell me what you thought and I hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	21. Chapter 21

**Annabeth Does Obedience School**

"Okay... this title has successfully confused me," Leo said, shaking his head.

"You mean the one about the poodle didn't?" Piper asked him dryly.

"Huh, good point."

**We stood in the shadows of Valencia Boulevard, looking up at gold letters etched in black marble: DOA RECORDING STUDIOS.**

**Underneath, stencilled on the glass doors: NO SOLICITORS. NO LOITERING. NO LIVING.**

"How lovely," Apollo chuckled.

"Charon's not going to let them in, is he?" Hermes asked, looking up at Hades.

The god of death shrugged. "Charon isn't exactly the scrupulous sort; I'm sure one of the demigods will figure that out."

**It was almost midnight, but the lobby was brightly lit and full of people. Behind the security desk sat a tough-looking guard with sunglasses and an earpiece.**

**I turned to my friends. "Okay. You remember the plan."**

**Annabeth said, "What happens if the plan doesn't work?"**

"When _does_ it work?" Thalia snorted. "You guys have never had such luck."

**"Don't think negative."**

**"Right," she said. "We're entering the Land of the Dead, and I shouldn't think negative."**

"He has a point," Jason said, turning to his sister. "They really can't afford to think negative. Not with the stakes as they are."

"True enough," Thalia nodded.

**I took the pearls out of my pocket, the three milky spheres the Nereid had given me in Santa Monica. They didn't seem like much of a backup in case something went wrong.**

Poseidon smiled mysteriously and shook his head.

**Annabeth put her hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Percy. You're right, we'll make it. It'll be fine."**

**She gave Grover a nudge.**

"Always with the nudging," Piper teased lightly.

"I'm just trying to keep them consistent," Annabeth replied dryly, making Piper laugh quietly.

**"Oh, right!" he chimed in. "We got this far. We'll find the master bolt and save your mom. No problem."**

**I looked at them both, and felt really grateful. Only a few minutes before, I'd almost gotten them stretched to death on deluxe water beds,**

"How was that his fault?" Hestia frowned. "It wasn't in the slightest."

"That's just Percy," Annabeth sighed. "He feels responsible for anyone he leads; so he manages to twist everything around into being his responsibility."

**and now they were trying to be brave for my sake, trying to make me feel better.**

**I slipped the pearls back in my pocket. "Let's whup some Underworld butt."**

Hades rolled his eyes skyward.

**We walked inside the DOA lobby.**

**Music played softly on hidden speakers. The carpet and walls were steel grey. Pencil cacti grew in the corners like skeleton hands. The furniture was black leather, and every seat was taken. There were people sitting on couches, people standing up, people staring out the windows or waiting for the elevator. Nobody moved, or talked, or did much of anything. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see them all just fine, but if I focused on any one of them in particular, they started looking ... transparent. I could see right through their bodies.**

Piper shivered. "Ghosts."

"Superstitious, Pipes?" Jason murmured into her ear.

"And you're not?" She whispered back, cocking a brow at him.

Jason just chuckled quietly.

**The security guard's desk was a raised podium, so we had to look up at him.**

Hades rolled his eyes, obviously exasperated.

**He was tall and elegant, with chocolate-coloured skin and bleached-blond hair shaved military style. He wore tortoiseshell shades and a silk Italian suit that matched his hair. A black rose was pinned to his lapel under a silver name tag.**

**I read the name tag, then looked at him in bewilderment. "Your name is Chiron?"**

Practically everyone snorted at that.

**He leaned across the desk. I couldn't see anything in his glasses except my own reflection, but his smile was sweet and cold, like a python's, right before it eats you.**

"Pretty accurate," Annabeth snorted.

**"What a precious young lad." He had a strange accent—British, maybe, but also as if he had learned English as a second language.**

The gods chuckled at this. After all, shouldn't it be obvious that he had?

**"Tell me, mate, do I look like a centaur?"**

**"N-no."**

**"Sir," he added smoothly.**

**"Sir," I said.**

**He pinched the name tag and ran his finger under the letters. "Can you read this, mate? It says C-H_-A-_R-O-N. Say it with me: CARE-ON."**

"Hey, Jason."

The blonde looked over at Leo with a wary expression, especially when he saw the shit-eating grin on the son of Hephaestus' face. "What?"

"Wanna know how to piss off death?"

"Uh... call him Poseidon?"

Hades spluttered and Poseidon rolled his eyes with a chuckle.

"Nope."

"Knock on his door?" Piper suggested, cocking a brow.

"You would think," the Texan replied, "but nope!"

Jason threw his hands up playfully. "Alright Leo, go on. How _do_ you piss off death?"

"Ring his doorbell and ditch, he hates that."

The demigods groaned as Leo cackled.

**"Charon."**

**"Amazing! Now: _Mr. _Charon."**

**"Mr. Charon," I said.**

**"Well done." He sat back. "I _hate _being confused with that old horse-man. And now, how may I help you little dead ones?"**

Hermes shook his head. "This is going to be interesting..."

**His question caught in my stomach like a fastball. I looked at Annabeth for support.**

**"We want to go the Underworld," she said.**

**Charon's mouth twitched. "Well, that's refreshing."**

"That's a word for it," Hades snorted.

**"It is?" she asked.**

**"Straightforward and honest. No screaming. No 'There must be a mistake, Mr. Charon.' " He looked us over. "How did you die, then?"**

**I nudged Grover.**

**"Oh," he said. "Um ... drowned ... in the bathtub."**

"Nice," Thalia drawled, "he chooses the one way that Percy _can't_ die."

"Irony thy name ist Grover?" Leo offered.

"I don't think 'ist' is actually an old form of a word," Piper commented.

"Meh," Leo shrugged, "minor detail."

**"All three of you?" Charon asked. We nodded.**

**"Big bathtub." Charon looked mildly impressed.**

Ares scoffed, adjusting his sunglasses.

**_"_I don't suppose you have coins for passage. Normally, with adults, you see, I could charge your American Express, or add the ferry price to your last cable bill. But with children ... alas, you never die prepared. Suppose you'll have to take a seat for a few centuries."**

"That's horrible!" Piper exclaimed, sitting bolt upright with an indignant look on her face. "They're _kids_!"

"Honestly, Hades," Demeter scolded, smacking his shoulder, "you ought to do something about that."

"I'll get right on that," he muttered sarcastically, only to earn another hit.

**"Oh, but we have coins." I set three golden drachmas on the counter, part of the stash I'd found in Crusty's office desk.**

"Because _that's_ not obvious," Ares snorted.

**"Well, now ..." Charon moistened his lips. "Real drachmas. Real golden drachmas. I haven't seen these in ..."**

**His fingers hovered greedily over the coins.**

**We were so close.**

"And with that line, everything is now going to hell... er... figuratively speaking." Apollo chuckled.

"Why do you insist upon using current terms?" Artemis demanded of her brother. "you are well aware that 'hell' is a religious adaptation of Hades."

He just shrugged. "Because it gets a little confusing when you're referring to hell by using the term Hades when Hades is actually in the room."

"Of course," Artemis' eyes rolled.

**Then Charon looked at me. That cold stare behind his glasses seemed to bore a hole through my chest. **

**"Here now," he said. "You couldn't read my name correctly. Are you dyslexic, lad?"**

**"No," I said. "I'm dead."**

"Because you know," Thalia laughed, "the two are synonymous."

**Charon leaned forward and took a sniff. "You're not dead. I should've known. You're a godling."**

Poseidon hissed out a breath.

**"We have to get to the Underworld," I insisted.**

**Charon made a growling sound deep in his throat.**

**Immediately, all the people in the waiting room got up and started pacing, agitated, lighting cigarettes, running hands through their hair, or checking their wristwatches.**

"The ghosts are tied to him?" Piper whispered, her eyes turning a pale blue.

"Yes, dove," Aphrodite replied, her voice soothing, "it doesn't hurt them; they're not even conscious of it."

"It's purgatory!"

"It is," Aphrodite replied calmly, "but you can't change it, dove. Focus on what you can."

Piper swallowed and looked away, but she nodded.

**"Leave while you can," Charon told us. "I'll just take these and forget I saw you."**

**He started to go for the coins, but I snatched them back.**

**"No service, no tip." I tried to sound braver than I felt.**

"Good," Poseidon murmured, "now push him, Percy."

**Charon growled again—a deep, blood-chilling sound. The spirits of the dead started pounding on the elevator doors.**

Piper's teeth grit and she tossed her head, looking furious.

**"It's a shame, too," I sighed. "We had more to offer."**

**I held up the entire bag from Crusty's stash. I took out a fistful of drachmas and let the coins spill through my fingers.**

**Charon's growl changed into something more like a lion's purr. "Do you think I can be bought, godling? Eh ... just out of curiosity, how much have you got there?"**

"Yes, we do think you can be bought," Apollo remarked dryly.

"Oh, you have no idea," Hades scoffed.

**"A lot," I said. "I bet Hades doesn't pay you well enough for such hard work."**

**"Oh, you don't know the half of it. How would you like to babysit these spirits all day? Always 'Please don't let me be dead' or 'Please let me across for free.' I haven't had a pay raise in three thousand years. Do you imagine suits like this come cheap?"**

Demeter gave Hades a dry look.

"Don't you even start," he snapped at her when she opened her mouth.

"Well, if you had solved these problems in the first place," Demeter told him, "perhaps I wouldn't have anywhere _to_ start!"

Hades scowled at her.

**"You deserve better," I agreed. "A little appreciation. Respect. Good pay."**

**With each word, I stacked another gold coin on the counter.**

"Smart," Hermes approved. "He's got this down."

"He's been doing a lot of flattering today, that much is sure," Ares snorted.

**Charon glanced down at his silk Italian jacket, as if imagining himself in something even better. "I must say, lad, you're making some sense now. Just a little."**

**I stacked another few coins. "I could mention a pay raise while I'm talking to Hades."**

"I doubt he'd listen, boy," Demeter snorted, "he may be the god of wealth, be he might as well be the god of misers."

"Demeter..." Hades growled, pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation.

**He sighed. "The boat's almost full, anyway. I might as well add you three and be off."**

Hermes chuckled. "Not bad."

**He stood, scooped up our money, and said, "Come along."**

**We pushed through the crowd of waiting spirits, who started grabbing at our clothes like the wind, their voices whispering things I couldn't make out.**

The demigods looked slightly off-put, but Hades looked wholly unconcerned.

**Charon shoved them out of the way, grumbling, "Freeloaders."**

**He escorted us into the elevator, which was already crowded with souls of the dead, each one holding a green boarding pass. Charon grabbed two spirits who were trying to get on with us and pushed them back into the lobby.**

"I don't like him," Piper's brow furrowed.

"Relax, Pipes," Jason told her, pressing a discrete kiss to her hair. "He doesn't matter."

"Not yet, he doesn't," Piper reminded, looking vaguely worried.

"Don't you worry about that," Jason told her, "I've got you."

"That's so sweet, I think I'm going to hurl." Leo told them dryly.

Piper's face burned as she smacked Leo, causing him to snicker and garnering some odd looks.

**"Right. Now, no one get any ideas while I'm gone," he announced to the waiting room. "And if anyone moves the dial off my easy-listening station again, I'll make sure you're here for another thousand years.**

Hermes chuckled deviously. "Apollo, remind me of that the next time I have to go deliver something to him."

Apollo gave a mock-salute with a pop can, "duly noted, my good messenger."

**Understand?"**

**He shut the doors. He put a key card into a slot in the elevator panel and we started to descend.**

**"What happens to the spirits waiting in the lobby?" Annabeth asked.**

**"Nothing," Charon said.**

**"For how long?"**

**"Forever, or until I'm feeling generous."**

"So, forever," Thalia surmised, rolling her eyes.

**"Oh," she said. "That's ... fair."**

**Charon raised an eyebrow. "Whoever said death was fair, young miss? Wait until it's your turn. You'll die soon enough, where you're going."**

Athena scowled darkly, her grey eyes darkening to black.

**"We'll get out alive," I said.**

**"Ha."**

**I got a sudden dizzy feeling. We weren't going down anymore, but forward. The air turned misty. Spirits around me started changing shape. Their modern clothes flickered, turning into grey hooded robes. The floor of the elevator began swaying.**

**I blinked hard. When I opened my eyes, Charon's creamy Italian suit had been replaced by a long black robe. His tortoiseshell glasses were gone. Where his eyes should've been were empty sockets—like Ares' eyes, except Charon's were totally dark, full of night and death and despair.**

"And mine are full of flame and awesome," Ares sniggered, grinning broadly.

"Of course they are, lover," Aphrodite assured idly.

**He saw me looking, and said, "Well?"**

**"Nothing," I managed.**

**I thought he was grinning, but that wasn't it. The flesh of his face was becoming transparent, letting me see straight through to his skull.**

"Weird," Leo muttered into his coca-cola.

**The floor kept swaying.**

**Grover said, "I think I'm getting seasick."**

"Well, seeing as how your best friend is the son of the god of the sea, you're going to have to get over that fast," Apollo chuckled.

"He's a satyr," Dionysus scoffed, "he's just going to complain about it and then deal."

"...I'm not sure if that was a compliment or an insult," Hermes remarked dryly, cocking a brow at Dionysus. "But I would remind you that their lord is my son."

"Duly noted," Dionysus muttered, taking a swig of his pop.

"Okay, I've got a question for you Lord Hermes," Leo said, looking over at him.

"Shoot," said god replied.

"You're the god of thieves, travellers, messengers, roads, and merchants, right?"

"Yes..." Hermes replied slowly.

"Well, no offence or anything, but I don't understand how a god who doesn't actually hold domain over any natural area is the father of the one who is god of all natural area," Leo said. "Like, you would expect Persephone to be the goddess of springtime because her mother is mistress of the seasons, right? But then, how does the god of messengers be the father of the god of the wild?"

There was a brief, surprised silence in which the gods exchanged glances. Hermes' grip on his phone went slack for the first time in hours as he mulled over the question.

"You'll have to factor in Driope, his mother," he said at last. "She was a wood nymph, a black poplar. I can say for certain why a son of mine would be the god of the wild; but that might have something to do with it."

"Fair enough," Leo nodded in acceptance. Blinking out of his daze, Hermes cocked a brow at those that were staring and went back to typing away on his phone.

**When I blinked again, the elevator wasn't an elevator anymore. We were standing in a wooden barge. Charon was poling us across a dark, oily river, swirling with bones, dead fish, and other, stranger things—plastic dolls, crushed car nations, soggy diplomas with gilt edges.**

Thalia and Annabeth exchanged glances.

**"The River Styx," Annabeth murmured. "It's so ..."**

**"Polluted," Charon said. "For thousands of years, you humans have been throwing in everything as you come across—hopes, dreams, wishes that never came true.**

"That's... depressing," Jason murmured.

"Erm, Mom?" Piper said, turning to Aphrodite.

"Yes, dove?" She hummed, combing her hair back.

"Would lost love go into the River Styx as well? Or... would that go to you?"

Aphrodite gave her a quiet smile. "Love is never lost, dove; only misplaced."

"But-"

"Dove," Aphrodite gave her daughter a serious look. "Trust me."

Piper nodded slowly and fell quiet.

**Irresponsible waste management, if you ask me."**

**Mist curled off the filthy water. Above us, almost lost in the gloom, was a ceiling of stalactites. Ahead, the far shore glimmered with greenish light, the colour of poison.**

**Panic closed up my throat. What was I doing here? These people around me ... they were dead.**

"I was wondering when this was going to kick in," Hades remarked offhandedly.

"When _what_ was going to kick in?" Poseidon asked his brother, cocking a brow.

"Natural fear. It kicks in once a living being is on the river," he replied, his tone bored. "All those disposed hopes and whatnot emanate a feeling of depression and fear."

"Wonderful," Athena sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

**Annabeth grabbed hold of my hand.**

A broad grin spread across Aphrodite's face as she sat up, looking eager.

**Under normal circumstances, this would've embarrassed me, but I understood how she felt. She wanted reassurance that somebody else was alive on this boat.**

Aphrodite practically dissolved into a mess of squeals and coos.

Annabeth just sighed and rolled her eyes upward; Athena gave Aphrodite an unamused look and Piper groaned.

**I found myself muttering a prayer, though I wasn't quite sure who I was praying to. Down here, only one god mattered, and he was the one I had come to confront.**

"Smart boy," Hades chuckled, a hint of darkness in his voice.

**The shoreline of the Underworld came into view. Craggy rocks and black volcanic sand stretched inland about a hundred yards to the base of a high stone wall, which marched off in either direction as far as we could see. A sound came from somewhere nearby in the green gloom, echoing off the stones—the howl of a large animal.**

"Cerberus," Annabeth murmured, a sad look crossing her face.

**"Old Three-Face is hungry," Charon said. His smile turned skeletal in the greenish light. "Bad luck for you, godlings."**

Poseidon's look darkened.

**The bottom of our boat slid onto the black sand. The dead began to disembark. A woman holding a little girl's hand.**

"Oh..." Piper whispered sorrowfully. Hera looked sad, but also oddly proud; as though she knew that the woman had been a good mother to the child.

**An old man and an old woman hobbling along arm in arm.**

Aphrodite smiled dolefully.

**A boy no older than I was,**

Poseidon's jaw tightened and his sea-green eyes were stormy.

**shuffling silently along in his grey robe.**

**Charon said, "I'd wish you luck, mate, but there isn't any down here. Mind you, don't forget to mention my pay raise."**

"Don't judge Charon too harshly," Athena cautioned the demigods. "There has to be a certain amount of insensitivity, otherwise twould be impossible to do such a job."

"Of course, don't judge him too lightly either," Hades drawled, "he's still a pain in the arse."

"Hades," Hera rebuked; he shrugged uncaringly.

**He counted our golden coins into his pouch, then took up his pole. He warbled something that sounded like a Barry Manilow song as he ferried the empty barge back across the river.**

"I wonder if Barry Manilow knows he raids his wardrobe," Leo remarked offhandedly as he sipped his pop.

"Who knows, Bender." Piper snorted.

"You know, I prefer 'the criminal'."

"Shut up, Leo."

**We followed the spirits up a well-worn path.**

**I'm not sure what I was expecting—Pearly Gates, or a big black portcullis, or something. But the entrance to the Underworld looked like a cross between airport security and the Jersey Turnpike.**

The room chuckled.

**There were three separate entrances under one huge black archway that said YOU ARE NOW ENTERING EREBUS. Each entrance had a pass-through metal detector with security cameras mounted on top. Beyond this were tollbooths manned by black-robed ghouls like Charon.**

"Lovely," Jason muttered around a mouthful of popcorn.

"You know... death is starting to sound a little boring right now," Leo remarked. "All lines and waiting. Jeez, I _hate_ waiting."

"Hence, why you're ADHD poster child of the millennia and not Percy," Piper teased.

Leo grinned at her.

**The howling of the hungry animal was really loud now, but I couldn't see where it was coming from. The three-headed dog, Cerberus, who was supposed to guard Hades' door, was nowhere to be seen.**

"Oh, he's there," Hades chuckled.

"He's always there," Demeter rolled her eyes.

**The dead queued up in the three lines, two marked ATTENDANT ON DUTY, and one marked EZ DEATH. The EZ DEATH line was moving right along. The other two were crawling.**

Leo made a face.

**"What do you figure?" I asked Annabeth.**

**"The fast line must go straight to the Asphodel Fields," she said. "No contest. They don't want to risk judgement from the court, because it might go against them."**

"They always think that it will save them," Hades said darkly. "Don't think for a minute, mortals, that just because you don't want to face court you'll be able to get away with any wrongdoing you've committed."

**"There's a court for dead people?"**

Hades scoffed.

**"Yeah. Three judges. They switch around who sits on the bench. King Minos,**

Annabeth glared at the floor.

**Thomas Jefferson, Shakespeare—people like that. Sometimes they look at a life and decide that person needs a special reward—the Fields of Elysium. Sometimes they decide on punishment. But most people, well, they just lived. Nothing special, good or bad.**

Jason winced. "The human race sounds so... depressing when you put it like that."

He got quite a few looks for that comment; some gods shook their heads, others scoffed, and even more just rolled their eyes.

"There's a reason why so many immortals are derisive towards mortals, boy," Dionysus told him. "This is one of the them."

**So they go to the Asphodel Fields."**

**"And do what?"**

**Grover said, "Imagine standing in a wheat field in Kansas. Forever."**

"Scenic," Leo muttered.

**"Harsh," I said.**

**"Not as harsh as that," Grover muttered. "Look."**

**A couple of black-robbed ghouls had pulled aside one spirit and were frisking him at the security desk.**

Hades shrugged carelessly, reclining in his armchair.

**The face of the dead man looked vaguely familiar.**

**"He's that preacher who made the news, remember?" Grover asked.**

**"Oh, yeah." I did remember now. We'd seen him on TV a couple of times at the Yancy Academy dorm. He was this annoying televangelist from upstate New York who'd raised millions of dollars for orphanages and then got caught spending the money on stuff for his mansion, like gold-plated toilet seats, and an indoor putt-putt golf course. He'd died in a police chase when his "Lamborghini for the Lord" went off a cliff.**

"Git," Apollo snorted. "I've always hated people like that. The ones that do horrible acts and then claim that they were doing them for a 'god'."

"I've always hated the ones that claimed their god was benevolent and kind, you know, the one that loves everyone? But can't _stand_ this type of person or that type of person," Hermes snorted and shook his head. "If your god loves everyone then he should love _everyone_ irrelevant of choices or the way they were born. They don't necessarily have to agree, but they should still love and accept."

Apollo nodded in agreement. "At least we're honest about the fact that we're flawed; you don't have to like it, but you have to respect that."

**I said, "What're they doing to him?"**

**"Special punishment from Hades," Grover guessed. "The really bad people get his personal attention as soon as they arrive. The Fur—the Kindly Ones will set up an eternal torture for him."**

**The thought of the Furies made me shudder. I realized I was in their home territory now. Old Mrs. Dodds would be licking her lips with anticipation.**

Poseidon let out a slow breath, his entire body tensing; Athena didn't look much better.

**"But if he's a preacher," I said, "and he believes in a different hell..."**

**Grover shrugged. "Who says he's seeing this place the way we're seeing it? Humans see what they want to see. You're very stubborn—er, persistent, that way."**

"Oh, go ahead and say stubborn," Thalia chuckled. "It is what we are."

"You seem to hold a sense of pride in that," Hera remarked, her look reminding Annabeth of the stereotypical mother-in-law who didn't approve of their son -or daughter's- choice of partner.

"Yeah, I do." Thalia replied, her tone touching upon defiant as she gave her step-mother a hard look.

**We got closer to the gates. The howling was so loud now it shook the ground at my feet, but I still couldn't figure out where it was coming from.**

"You'll find out soon enough," Hades smirked; Poseidon shot him an irritated look.

**Then, about fifty feet in front of us, the green mist shimmered. Standing just where the path split into three lanes was an enormous shadowy monster.**

**I hadn't seen it before because it was half transparent, like the dead. Until it moved, it blended with whatever was behind it. Only its eyes and teeth looked solid. And it was staring straight at me.**

"Cerberus," Hades said, looking pleased; apparently ignorant of the way Athena and Poseidon were glaring at him.

**My jaw hung open. All I could think to say was, "He's a Rottweiler."**

Apollo snickered at that.

**I'd always imagined Cerberus as a big black mastiff. But he was obviously a purebred Rottweiler, except of course that he was twice the size of a woolly mammoth, mostly invisible, and had three heads.**

"Oh yeah, you know, but he's mostly the same," Hermes chuckled.

**The dead walked right up to him—no fear at all. The ATTENDANT ON DUTY lines parted on either side of him. The EZ DEATH spirits walked right between his front paws and under his belly, which they could do without even crouching.**

**"I'm starting to see him better," I muttered. "Why is that?"**

**"I think ..." Annabeth moistened her lips. "I'm afraid it's because we're getting closer to being dead."**

Athena stilled, looking just as tense as Poseidon.

**The dog's middle head craned toward us. It sniffed the air and growled.**

**"It can smell the living," I said.**

**"But that's okay," Grover said, trembling next to me. "Because we have a plan."**

**"Right," Annabeth said. I'd never heard her voice sound quite so small. "A plan."**

"And this plan entails what, exactly?" Athena asked, her voice tight.

"Mother, I'm sitting right here," Annabeth pointed out.

"Does not rule out grievous injury," Athena replied, obviously not relaxing.

"Athena..." Poseidon rumbled, looking just as tense as she. She inclined her head and said no more.

**We moved toward the monster.**

**The middle head snarled at us, then barked so loud my eyeballs rattled.**

**"Can you understand it?" I asked Grover.**

**"Oh yeah," he said. "I can understand it."**

**"What's it saying?"**

**"I don't think humans have a four-letter word that translates, exactly."**

"Lovely," Dionysus muttered.

**I took the big stick out of my backpack—a bedpost I'd broken off Crusty's Safari Deluxe floor model. I held it up, and tried to channel happy dog thoughts toward Cerberus—Alpo commercials, cute little pup pies, fire hydrants. I tried to smile, like I wasn't about to die.**

Poseidon pinched the bridge of his nose at that.

**"Hey, Big Fella," I called up. "I bet they don't play with you much."**

"No, they don't," Annabeth mumbled.

_**"GROWWWLLLL!"**_

**"Good boy," I said weakly.**

**I waved the stick. The dog's middle head followed the movement. The other two heads trained their eyes on me, completely ignoring the spirits. I had Cerberus's undivided attention. I wasn't sure that was a good thing.**

"Probably not, no," Apollo snorted, shaking his head as he drained his pop.

**"Fetch!" I threw the stick into the gloom, a good solid throw. I heard it go _ker-sploosh_ in the River Styx.**

"Because _that's_ going to go well," Dionysus rolled his eyes. "He's just lost the one thing the Cerberus wanted more than them."

"Yeah, not particularly smart," Thalia sighed.

**Cerberus glared at me, unimpressed. His eyes were baleful and cold.**

**So much for the plan.**

**Cerberus was now making a new kind of growl, deeper down in his three throats.**

**"Um," Grover said. "Percy?"**

**"Yeah?"**

**"I just thought you'd want to know."**

**"Yeah?"**

**"Cerberus? He's saying we've got ten seconds to pray to the god of our choice_. _After that... well ... he's hungry."**

"Yeah, bit of a problem you've got there," Jason shook his head.

**"Wait!" Annabeth said. She started rifling through her pack.**

"Right, always have a plan," Leo nodded.

**Uh-oh, I thought.**

**"Five seconds," Grover said. "Do we run now?"**

**Annabeth produced a red rubber ball the size of a grapefruit. It was labelled WATERLAND, DENVER, CO. Before I could stop her, she raised the ball and marched straight up to Cerberus.**

**She shouted, "See the ball? You want the ball, Cerberus? Sit!"**

"No way," Apollo spluttered, his eyes going wide.

**Cerberus looked as stunned as we were.**

**All three of his heads cocked sideways. Six nostrils dilated.**

**"Sit!" Annabeth called again.**

**I was sure that any moment she would become the world's largest Milkbone dog biscuit.**

**But instead, Cerberus licked his three sets of lips, shifted on his haunches, and sat,**

Disbelieving laughter issued forth from the room, a number of people chuckling at the fortune of these three kids. Annabeth just grinned sheepishly and shook her head.

**immediately crushing a dozen spirits who'd been passing underneath him in the EZ DEATH line. The spirits made muffled hisses as they dissipated, like the air let out of tires.**

Hades chuckled at that; earning him some weird looks.

**Annabeth said, "Good boy!"**

**She threw Cerberus the ball.**

**He caught it in his middle mouth. It was barely big enough for him to chew, and the other heads started snap ping at the middle, trying to get the new toy.**

**"Drop it.'" Annabeth ordered.**

"Is this actually going to work?" Apollo asked, an amused grin on his face.

**Cerberus's heads stopped fighting and looked at her. The ball was wedged between two of his teeth like a tiny piece of gum. He made a loud, scary whimper,**

"Oxymoron," Piper murmured, an amused smile on her mouth.

**then dropped the ball, now slimy and bitten nearly in half, at Annabeth's feet.**

**"Good boy." She picked up the ball, ignoring the monster spit all over it. She turned toward us. "Go now. EZ DEATH line—it's faster."**

Athena frowned.

**I said, "But—"**

**"Now.'" She ordered, in the same tone she was using on the dog.**

"So, the tone you use all the time," Thalia remarked dryly, giving her a grin.

"Shut up," Annabeth laughed, pushing at Thalia.

**Grover and I inched forward warily.**

**Cerberus started to growl.**

**"Stay!" Annabeth ordered the monster. "If you want the ball, stay!"**

**Cerberus whimpered, but he stayed where he was.**

"Well, well, I'm impressed kiddo," Apollo praised, giving Annabeth a large grin.

"Um... thanks," Annabeth gave him a small smile in return.

**"What about you?" I asked Annabeth as we passed her.**

**"I know what I'm doing, Percy," she muttered. "At least, I'm pretty sure... ."**

**Grover and I walked between the monster's legs.**

**Please, Annabeth, I prayed. Don't tell him to sit again.**

The group chuckled.

**We made it through. Cerberus wasn't any less scary-looking from the back.**

**Annabeth said, "Good dog!"**

**She held up the tattered red ball, and probably came to the same conclusion I did—if she rewarded Cerberus, there'd be nothing left for another trick.**

**She threw the ball anyway.**

"Impulsive," Thalia remarked, her voice deceptively offhand, "have you been hanging around my baby cousin too long?"

"I think he'd protest the 'baby' part," Annabeth chuckled, "he's taller than you are. And older."

"Psha, details," Thalia dismissed.

**The monster's left mouth immediately snatched it up, only to be attacked by the middle head, while the right head moaned in protest.**

**While the monster was distracted, Annabeth walked briskly under its belly and joined us at the metal detector.**

Athena slowly relaxed at this.

**"How did you do that?" I asked her, amazed.**

**"Obedience school,"**

"Title," Hermes chuckled.

**she said breathlessly, and I was surprised to see there were tears in her eyes. "When I was little, at my dad's house, we had a Doberman..." **

Annabeth looked away.

**"Never mind that," Grover said, tugging at my shirt. "Come on!"**

**We were about to bolt through the EZ DEATH line when Cerberus moaned pitifully from all three mouths. Annabeth stopped.**

**She turned to face the dog, which had done a one-eighty to look at us.**

**Cerberus panted expectantly, the tiny red ball in pieces in a puddle of drool at its feet.**

Artemis shot Hades an annoyed look. "You ought to spend more time with him."

"I'll get right on that," Hades drawled sarcastically.

Artemis glared at him.

**"Good boy," Annabeth said, but her voice sounded melancholy and uncertain.**

**The monster's heads turned sideways, as if worried about her.**

"That's sweet," Aphrodite remarked.

"You don't like dogs, babe," Ares pointed out.

"Doesn't mean I can't appreciate adoration!"

**"I'll bring you another ball soon," Annabeth promised faintly. "Would you like that?"**

**The monster whimpered. I didn't need to speak dog to know Cerberus was still waiting for the ball.**

**"Good dog. I'll come visit you soon. I—I promise." Annabeth turned to us. "Let's go."**

Artemis nodded at Annabeth approvingly, still shooting daggers at Hades.

**Grover and I pushed through the metal detector, which immediately screamed and set off flashing red lights. "Unauthorized possessions! Magic detected!"**

"Note: first time through a metal detector, and Annabeth's knife and Percy's sword went off," Jason chuckled. "Just like Percy thought."

**Cerberus started to bark.**

**We burst through the EZ DEATH gate, which started even more alarms blaring, and raced into the Underworld.**

**A few minutes later, we were hiding, out of breath, in the rotten trunk of an immense black tree as security ghouls scuttled past, yelling for backup from the Furies.**

"Well, crap," Leo surmised.

**Grover murmured, "Well, Percy, what have we learned today?"**

**"That three-headed dogs prefer red rubber balls over sticks?"**

**"No," Grover told me. "We've learned that your plans really, really bite!"**

The room chuckled.

**I wasn't sure about that. I thought maybe Annabeth and I had both had the right idea. Even here in the Underworld, everybody—even monsters—needed a little attention once in a while.**

"Indeed," Artemis said pointedly.

"He's not an animal of the wild, he's not your jurisdiction," Hades pointed out.

"It doesn't matter," Artemis retorted, "he's still an animal that needs to be looked after!"

**I thought about that as we waited for the ghouls to pass. I pretended not to see Annabeth wipe a tear from her cheek as she listened to the mournful keening of Cerberus in the distance, longing for his new friend.**

Artemis just shook her head once again.

"Chapter's done," Hades said dismissively. "Next?"

"I'll read it," Annabeth said, taking the book, she crossed her legs underneath her and began. "Chapter nineteen: We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of."

* * *

Now, about that whole Driope-Hermes thing. There's some discontent over who, actually, was Pan's mother (as there always is in Greek myths); but I decided that Driope (or Dryope, whichever) the black poplar was Pan's mother because, you know, wood nymph. It would explain the whole... satyr thing.

In any case, hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	22. Chapter 22

**We Find out the Truth, Sort of**

"Finally," Leo grinned.

"It says 'sort of'," Piper pointed out.

"Noo~! Don't wreck the happy place!"

**Imagine the largest concert crowd you've ever seen, a football field packed with a million fans. Now imagine a field a million times that big, packed with people, and imagine the electricity has gone out, and there is no noise, no light, no beach ball bouncing around over the crowd. Something tragic has happened backstage. Whispering masses of people are just milling around in the shadows, waiting for a concert that will never start.**

"Not exactly cheerful..." Thalia murmured.

**If you can picture that, you have a pretty good idea what the Fields of Asphodel looked like.**

"Ooh," Leo hissed with a wince, "doesn't exactly sound like a party."

"Only if it were a zombie one, kid," Apollo snorted.

"...are they doing the Monster Mash?"

"Leo!" Piper groaned, facepalming.

**The black grass had been trampled by eons of dead feet. A warm, moist wind blew like the breath of a swamp. Black trees—Grover told me they were poplars—grew in clumps here and there.**

"Why poplars?" Aphrodite hummed idly. Hades didn't bother answering.

**The cavern ceiling was so high above us it might've been a bank of storm clouds, except for the stalactites, which glowed faint grey and looked wickedly pointed.**

"They probably are," Thalia remarked.

**I tried not to imagine they'd fall on us at any moment, but dotted around the fields were several that had fallen and impaled themselves in the black grass. I guess the dead didn't have to worry about little hazards like being speared by stalactites the size of booster rockets.**

"No, probably not," Hermes chortled.

**Annabeth, Grover, and I tried to blend into the crowd, keeping an eye out for security ghouls. I couldn't help looking for familiar faces among the spirits of Asphodel,**

Hades shook his head grimly.

**but the dead are hard to look at. Their faces shimmer. They all look slightly angry or confused. They will come up to you and speak, but their voices sound like chatter, like bats twittering. Once they realize you can't understand them, they frown and move away.**

"I wonder why," Piper murmured.

"Wonder why what?" Jason asked.

"Well, why can't you understand them?" Piper clarified. "I mean..."

"No one could tell you that, girl," Hades told her. "That's just the way of death. Been like that since the world began."

**The dead aren't scary. They're just sad.**

"I think we can all agree on that," Jason sighed.

**We crept along, following the line of new arrivals that snaked from the main gates toward a black-tented pavilion with a banner that read:**

_**JUDGMENTS FOR ELYSIUM AND ETERNAL DAMNATION**_

_**Welcome, Newly Deceased!**_

"Cheery, though slightly creepy," Apollo chuckled.

"Do you have a different preference?" Hades drawled. "Unlike my _beloved_ brothers, I actually have to deal with people."

"Because you know," Poseidon remarked dryly, "nothing lives in the ocean."

"..._Asinus Stultissimus_." Hades scowled at him.

"Language, brother," Poseidon chuckled.

**Out the back of the tent came two much smaller lines.**

**To the left, spirits flanked by security ghouls were marched down a rocky path toward the Fields of Punishment, which glowed and smoked in the distance, a vast, cracked wasteland with rivers of lava and minefields and miles of barbed wire separating the different torture areas. Even from far away, I could see people being chased by hellhounds, burned at the stake, forced to run naked through cactus patches or listen to opera music.**

"Hey," Apollo said, affronted, "what's wrong with opera music?"

Hades shrugged carelessly. "I only twist the punishment to suit the person, not the other way around."

**I could just make out a tiny hill, with the ant-size figure of Sisyphus struggling to move his boulder to the top. And I saw worse tortures, too—things I don't want to describe.**

Annabeth had a grim look on her face and no one dared ask her what she had seen.

**The line coming from the right side of the judgement pavilion was much better. This one led down toward a small valley surrounded by walls—a gated community, which seemed to be the only happy part of the Underworld.**

"Elysium," Hera said, brushing her hair away from her eyes.

**Beyond the security gate were neighbourhoods of beautiful houses from every time period in history, Roman villas and medieval castles and Victorian mansions. Silver and gold flowers bloomed on the lawns. The grass rippled in rainbow colours.**

"That's a little weird," Leo sniggered.

**I could hear laughter and smell barbecue cooking.**

**Elysium.**

**In the middle of that valley was a glittering blue lake, with three small islands like a vacation resort in the Bahamas. The Isles of the Blest, for people who had chosen to be reborn three times, and three times achieved Elysium. Immediately I knew that's where I wanted to go when I died.**

Poseidon looked away, not wanting to contemplate such an idea; and he was not the only one to have such a reaction. Annabeth immediately tugged Percy's sweater further around her.

**"That's what it's all about," Annabeth said, like she was reading my thoughts. "That's the place for heroes."**

**But I thought of how few people there were in Elysium, how tiny it was compared to the Fields of Asphodel or even the Fields of Punishment. So few people did good in their lives. It was depressing.**

"Amen to that, kid," Apollo shook his head.

**We left the judgement pavilion and moved deeper into the Asphodel Fields. It got darker. The colours faded from our clothes.**

"Weird..." Leo murmured. "_Creepy_ weird."

**The crowds of chattering spirits began to thin.**

**After a few miles of walking, we began to hear a familiar screech in the distance. Looming on the horizon was a palace of glittering black obsidian. Above the parapets swirled three dark bat like creatures: the Furies. I got the feeling they were waiting for us.**

Hades snorted. "As if you could just waltz into my palace unnoticed."

"I think they've been doing pretty good so far," Apollo remarked offhandedly.

**"I suppose it's too late to turn back," Grover said wistfully.**

**"We'll be okay." I tried to sound confident.**

**"Maybe we should search some of the other places first," Grover suggested. "Like, Elysium, for instance …"**

Hades rolled his eyes. "If you couldn't get into my palace unnoticed, you'd _never_ get into Elysium unless allowed."

**"Come on, goat boy." Annabeth grabbed his arm.**

**Grover yelped. His sneakers sprouted wings and his legs shot forward, pulling him away from Annabeth. He landed flat on his back in the grass.**

"I forgot about this," Annabeth murmured.

"Forgot about what?" Thalia frowned.

"You'll see."

**"Grover," Annabeth chided. "Stop messing around."**

**"But I didn't—"**

**He yelped again. His shoes were flapping like crazy now. They levitated off the ground and started dragging him away from us.**

_**"Maia!"**_

Hermes rolled his eyes. "_Maia_."

**he yelled, but the magic word seemed to have no effect. _"Maia,_**

Apollo snickered at the annoyed look on Hermes' face as he was lifted off of the couch. Annabeth swore that even George and Martha were hissing their laughter.

"_Maia_!" He said, his voice exasperated.

"_Maia_!" Apollo retorted.

Hermes glowered at him darkly and took a swipe at him with his full-grown caduceus. Apollo yelped in pain as it clipped him in the shoulder.

"Alright, alright!" Apollo pouted. "Spoilsport."

Hermes' look didn't lighten. "_Maia_."

**already! Nine-one-one! Help!"**

"I don't think nine-one-one is going to get there in time," Dionysus remarked.

**I got over being stunned and made a grab for Grover's hand, but too late. He was picking up speed, skidding downhill like a bobsled.**

**We ran after him.**

"Why is it pulling him?" Hermes murmured, his brow furrowing. "That isn't right..."

**Annabeth shouted, "Untie the shoes!"**

**It was a smart idea, but I guess it's not so easy when your shoes are pulling you along feet first at full speed. Grover tried to sit up, but he couldn't get close to the laces.**

A spike of tension shot through the room.

**We kept after him, trying to keep him in sight as he ripped between the legs of spirits who chattered at him in annoyance.**

**I was sure Grover was going to barrel straight through the gates of Hades's palace, but his shoes veered sharply to the right and dragged him in the opposite direction.**

Hades shot upright, his black eyes flashing.

"Hades... where are the shoes taking him?" Poseidon asked slowly.

"You haven't guessed?" Hades asked, his voice hard.

Poseidon pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes closing in frustration. "I was afraid of that."

"Where...?" Leo looked confused.

"Tartarus, lad," Hephaestus responded, his face grim. The room grew darker with worry and confusion.

**The slope got steeper. Grover picked up speed. Annabeth and I had to sprint to keep up. The cavern walls narrowed on either side, and I realized we'd entered some kind of side tunnel. No black grass or trees now, just rock underfoot, and the dim light of the stalactites above.**

The gods had fallen quiet, all listening closely to Annabeth's reading.

**"Grover!" I yelled, my voice echoing. "Hold on to something!"**

**"What?" he yelled back.**

**He was grabbing at gravel, but there was nothing big enough to slow him down.**

Hermes looked worried and grim. He didn't want to believe it; his children were important to him. But... this was beginning to look bad for Luke.

**The tunnel got darker and colder. The hairs on my arms bristled. It smelled evil down here. It made me think of things I shouldn't even know about—blood spilled on an ancient stone altar, the foul breath of a murderer.**

A prickle of unease raced through the room, Poseidon's jaw tightened.

**Then I saw what was ahead of us, and I stopped dead in my tracks.**

**The tunnel widened into a huge dark cavern, and in the middle was a chasm the size of a city block.**

**Grover was sliding straight toward the edge.**

Piper inhaled sharply, her hands flying to her mouth. Jason, seeing her distress, reached up and took her hand away from her mouth, lacing his fingers with hers. Aphrodite, upon seeing this, smiled weakly, but her mind was too preoccupied to focus much on it.

**"Come on, Percy!" Annabeth yelled, tugging at my wrist.**

**"But that's—"**

**"I know!" she shouted. "The place you described in your dream! But Grover's going to fall if we don't catch him." She was right, of course. Grover's predicament got me moving again.**

Annabeth exhaled slowly and Thalia's dark frown was a carbon copy of the one currently on her father's face.

**He was yelling, clawing at the ground, but the winged shoes kept dragging him toward the pit, and it didn't look like we could possibly get to him in time.**

**What saved him were his hooves.**

"Alright..." Apollo muttered slowly, "that's a new one."

**The flying sneakers had always been a loose fit on him, and finally Grover hit a big rock and the left shoe came flying off. It sped into the darkness, down into the chasm. The right shoe kept tugging him along, but not as fast. Grover was able to slow himself down by grabbing on to the big rock and using it like an anchor.**

A collective breath was released from a number of people, tension lightening with the realization that Grover was fine.

**He was ten feet from the edge of the pit when we caught him and hauled him back up the slope. The other winged shoe tugged itself off, circled around us angrily and kicked our heads in protest before flying off into the chasm to join its twin.**

Poseidon was practically radiating fury. "Hermes..." his voice was lashed tight, "I hope that brat has a good reason for giving cursed shoes to my son."

It was like electricity had just shot through the room; anyone who had not realized exactly what had happened were now looking anxious and worried. Why would Luke give Percy cursed shoes? What was going on?

"Don't insult him," Hermes snapped, his back ramrod straight.

Poseidon rose from his seat, standing at his full six-foot three. "That boy gave my son cursed shoes that were rigged to drag him into Tartarus itself," he said, storm clouds broiling in the sky overhead as all liquids in the room began to bubble and shake, in fact, the entire room felt like it were shaking. "Do _not_ _defend him_!"

The rumbling grew until it was nearing a full-on earthquake. Hermes hovered in the air, his caduceus full-grown and his snakes hissing angrily. Zeus stood and crossed the room, gripping Poseidon's shoulder tightly.

"Brother," his voice was a warning, "your son is fine and _alive_. Leave Hermes be and sit!"

Poseidon ignored him, his sea-green eyes pinned to Hermes. In Annabeth's opinion, this was one of the most terrifying things she'd ever seen. Both Poseidon and Hermes were two of the most laid-back and benevolent gods she'd ever met, but both of them were also fiercely protective. There was a _very_ good chance that this could turn into a full-fledged battle...

Luckily, however, Hermes' shoulders fell forward and he landed on the floor lightly. "I don't know why Luke did what he did," he responded honestly, the earthquake and rumblings slowly dissipating as he spoke, "but he's my _son,_ Poseidon. Even if he did do this on purpose... I can't just abandon him."

Poseidon eyed him carefully before nodding slowly, only the sky remained different but even that was clearing slowly. "I may not agree," he admitted slowly, "but I can respect it. I also understand it."

"I figured you would," Hermes nodded. "I am sorry about this."

"As am I," Poseidon replied.

"Temper tantrums over?" Demeter asked after the two had retaken their seats and Zeus had strode back to his own. "Good. Daughter of Athena, if you would?"

Annabeth nodded and began to read once more.

**We all collapsed, exhausted, on the obsidian gravel. My limbs felt like lead. Even my backpack seemed heavier, as if somebody had filled it with rocks.**

Annabeth's head jerked ever so slightly at that; a point that everyone who was paying attention noticed. Looks were exchanged and Athena found herself sitting up straighter with worry and suspicion.

**Grover was scratched up pretty bad. His hands were bleeding. His eyes had gone slit-pupiled, goat style, the way they did whenever he was terrified.**

"Poor guy," Leo shook his head.

**"I don't know how ..." he panted. "I didn't..."**

**"Wait," I said. "Listen."**

**I heard something—a deep whisper in the darkness.**

"Don't listen to that, boy," Hades murmured the warning, his eyes narrowing.

**Another few seconds, and Annabeth said, "Percy, this place—"**

**"Shh." I stood.**

**The sound was getting louder, a muttering, evil voice from far, far below us. Coming from the pit.**

Zeus frowned, steepling his fingers. "He needs to move away from there," was all he said.

**Grover sat up. "Wh—what's that noise?"**

**Annabeth heard it too, now. I could see it in her eyes. "Tartarus. The entrance to Tartarus." I uncapped Anaklusmos.**

**The bronze sword expanded, gleaming in the darkness, and the evil voice seemed to falter,**

Poseidon's eyes held a stubborn glimmer in them, his jaw tight.

**just for a moment, before resuming its chant.**

**I could almost make out words now, ancient, ancient words, older even than Greek. As if ...**

**"Magic," I said.**

"Dark and dangerous magic," Artemis said, her tone serious. "Get away from the chasm, Perseus."

**"We have to get out of here," Annabeth said.**

**Together, we dragged Grover to his hooves and started back up the tunnel. My legs wouldn't move fast enough. My backpack weighed me down.**

Annabeth tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear as she read, her knee beginning to bounce with anticipation.

**The voice got louder and angrier behind us, and we broke into a run.**

**Not a moment too soon.**

**A cold blast of wind pulled at our backs, as if the entire pit were inhaling. For a terrifying moment, I lost ground, my feet slipping in the gravel.**

Poseidon tensed.

**If we'd been any closer to the edge, we would've been sucked in.**

The god of the sea rubbed at his temples.

**We kept struggling forward, and finally reached the top of the tunnel, where the cavern widened out into the Fields of Asphodel. The wind died. A wail of outrage echoed from deep in the tunnel. Something was not happy we'd gotten away.**

"No, I reckon not," Apollo said quietly, not a hint of amusement in his voice.

**"What _was _that?" Grover panted, when _we'd _collapsed in the relative safety of a black poplar grove. "One of Hades' pets?"**

"If only he could be controlled so easily," Zeus rumbled, his fists tightening dangerously as lightning flashed.

"Husband," Hera said, gripping his tensed forearm. Zeus glared at her for a moment, but in the midst of her calm look in return he sighed and nodded, relaxing slowly.

**Annabeth and I looked at each other. I could tell she was nursing an idea, probably the same one she'd gotten during the taxi ride to L.A., but she was too scared to share it. That was enough to terrify me.**

Annabeth swallowed reflexively and Thalia bit her lip harsh enough to almost draw blood.

**I capped my sword, put the pen back in my pocket. "Let's keep going." I looked at Grover. "Can you walk?"**

**He swallowed. "Yeah, sure. I never liked those shoes, anyway."**

"Heh, funny," Leo chuckled weakly.

**He tried to sound brave about it, but he was trembling as badly as Annabeth and I were. Whatever was in that pit was nobody's pet. It was unspeakably old and powerful. Even Echidna hadn't given me that feeling. I was almost relieved to turn my back on that tunnel and head toward the palace of Hades.**

**Almost.**

"You ought to be," Hades said, shaking his head. "Whatever I may do to you... _he_ could do much worse."

**The Furies circled the parapets, high in the gloom. The outer walls of the fortress glittered black, and the two-story-tall bronze gates stood open.**

**Up close, I saw that the engravings on the gates were scenes of death.**

Annabeth paused, blinking in surprise. "I... hadn't even noticed that," she muttered.

"You were probably deep in thought," Thalia remarked.

"Probably," Annabeth chuckled and shook her head before picking up where she left off.

**Some were from modern times—an atomic bomb exploding over a city, a trench filled with gas mask-wearing soldiers, a line of African famine victims waiting with empty bowls—but all of them looked as if they'd been etched into the bronze thousands of years ago. I wondered if I was looking at prophecies that had come true.**

The demigods exchanged uneasy looks but the gods did not even react.

**Inside the courtyard was the strangest garden I'd ever seen.**

Demeter made a loud scoffing noise, glaring at Hades darkly.

**Multicoloured mushrooms, poisonous shrubs, and weird luminous plants grew without sunlight. Precious jewels made up for the lack of flowers, piles of rubies as big as my fist, clumps of raw diamonds.**

"Woah," Leo blinked in surprise.

**Standing here and there like frozen party guests were Medusa's garden statues— petrified children, satyrs, and centaurs—all smiling grotesquely.**

"Well, now we know where the statues went," Jason muttered. "Though... why are they smiling?"

"Because Persephone hand-picked them," Hades replied carelessly. "And she said she wanted smiles not something depressing."

"I think a grotesque smile is worse than a horrified scream," Piper said, shivering.

Hades shrugged.

**In the centre of the garden was an orchard of pomegranate trees, their orange blooms neon bright in the dark. "The garden of Persephone," Annabeth said. "Keep walking."**

Apollo sniggered. "Good idea, kid."

**I understood why she wanted to move on. The tart smell of those pomegranates was almost overwhelming. I had a sudden desire to eat them, but then I remembered the story of Persephone. One bite of Underworld food, and we would never be able to leave.**

Hades just smirked.

**I pulled Grover away to keep him from picking a big juicy one.**

Dionysus raised his eyes skyward. "Bloody satyr..."

**We walked up the steps of the palace, between black columns, through a black marble portico, and into the house of Hades. The entry hall had a polished bronze floor, which seemed to boil in the reflected torchlight. There was no ceiling, just the cavern roof, far above. I guess they never had to worry about rain down here.**

"I guess not," Hermes chuckled wryly. "This kid... he says the weirdest things."

"I think Percy has inappropriate reactions to stress," Apollo remarked, chuckling as well.

**Every side doorway was guarded by a skeleton in military gear. Some wore Greek armour, some British redcoat uniforms, some camouflage with tattered American flags on the shoulders.**

"I take it they didn't have a choice in the matter?" Piper asked warily, still clutching onto Jason's hand.

Hades eyed their intertwined hands before replying, "their souls are already in Elysium or the Fields or even the Isle. Their bodies don't much matter at this point."

Piper frowned. "But-"

"Girl," Hades gave her an amused look, like a parent would give a foolish child, "when you die, no matter what you do, your body is going to turn to ash or eaten by animals and insects. Now, why aren't you complaining about that?"

"Because I'm already dead," Piper sighed and nodded. "You're right."

"I ought to be, being the God of Death and all," Hades snorted wryly.

**They carried spears or muskets or M-16s. None of them bothered us, but their hollow eye sockets followed us as we walked down the hall, toward the big set of doors at the opposite end.**

"Creepy," Leo muttered. "The whole place is either depressing or creepy."

**Two U.S. Marine skeletons guarded the doors. They grinned down at us, rocket-propelled grenade launchers held across their chests.**

**"You know," Grover mumbled, "I bet Hades doesn't have trouble with door-to-door salesmen."**

Hades snorted loudly.

**My backpack weighed a ton now. **

**I couldn't figure out why. I wanted to open it, check to see if I had somehow picked up a stray bowling ball, but this wasn't the time.**

_Beware of gifts_, Athena mouthed, her eyes suspicious and hard.

**"Well, guys," I said. "I suppose we should ... knock?"**

**A hot wind blew down the corridor, and the doors swung open. The guards stepped aside.**

**"I guess that means _entrez-vous," _Annabeth said.**

"French," Piper shook her head with a weak smile.

**The room inside looked just like in my dream, except this time the throne of Hades was occupied.**

**He was the third god I'd met, but the first who really struck me as godlike.**

"Oi!" Ares spluttered.

Dionysus just sneered and rolled his eyes.

**He was at least ten feet tall, for one thing, and dressed in black silk robes and a crown of braided gold. His skin was albino white, his hair shoulder-length and jet black. He wasn't bulked up like Ares, but he radiated power. He lounged on his throne of fused human bones, looking lithe, graceful, and dangerous as a panther.**

Hades chuckled darkly, reclined in his chair much the same way. "I think I can live with such a description."

"Arrogant..." Demeter's voice trailed off into grumbling.

**I immediately felt like he should be giving the orders. He knew more than I did. He should be my master.**

Hades shark grin grew.

**Then I told myself to snap out of it.**

...and then it stopped.

**Hades' aura was affecting me, just as Ares' had.**

"Well of course, punk," Ares snorted. "You may be half-god, but you're also part-human. Obviously it affects you."

**The Lord of the Dead resembled pictures I'd seen of Adolph Hitler, or Napoleon, or the terrorist leaders who direct suicide bombers. Hades had the same intense eyes, the same kind of mesmerizing, evil charisma.**

"A perfect description, don't you think?" Aphrodite hummed.

**"You are brave to come here, Son of Poseidon," he said in an oily voice. "After what you have done to me, very brave indeed. Or perhaps you are simply very foolish."**

Poseidon sat up slowly, his hackles rising at such a greeting. Indeed, a number of people seemed to have picked up on the same thing, shifting curiously in their seats.

**Numbness crept into my joints, tempting me to lie down and just take a little nap at Hades' feet. Curl up here and sleep forever.**

**I fought the feeling and stepped forward. I knew what I had to say. "Lord and Uncle, I come with two requests."**

"Brazen," Apollo whistled.

"He doesn't have the time for niceties," Ares pointed out with a snort.

"Touché."

**Hades raised an eyebrow. When he sat forward in his throne, shadowy faces appeared in the folds of his black robes, faces of torment, as if the garment were stitched of trapped souls from the Fields of Punishment, trying to get out. The ADHD part of me wondered, off-task, whether the rest of his clothes were made the same way. What horrible things would you have to do in your life to get woven into Hades' underwear?**

Despite the tension, the room choked on laughter and Hades sneered, rolling his eyes.

**"Only two requests?" Hades said. "Arrogant child. As if you have not already taken enough. Speak, then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet."**

Poseidon shot his brother a look before pinning his eyes back on Athena's daughter, willing her to read quickly.

**I swallowed. This was going about as well as I'd feared.**

**I glanced at the empty, smaller throne next to Hades's. It was shaped like a black flower, gilded with gold. I wished Queen Persephone were here. I recalled something in the myths about how she could calm her husband's moods.**

"Yes, that would help," Athena remarked, her nails digging into the arms of her chair.

**But it was summer. Of course, Persephone would be above in the world of light with her mother, the goddess of agriculture, Demeter. Her visits, not the tilt of the planet, create the seasons.**

Demeter quirked a brow.

**Annabeth cleared her throat. Her finger prodded me in the back.**

**"Lord Hades," I said. "Look, sir, there can't be a war among the gods. It would be ... bad."**

**"Really bad," Grover added helpfully.**

**"Return Zeus's master bolt to me," I said. "Please, sir. Let me carry it to Olympus."**

"He doesn't have it," Artemis said, her voice heavy with finality. "If we were all to be honest for a moment; we _know_ that Hades does not have the bolt."

"This... is not going to end well," Apollo said, wincing slightly.

**Hades' eyes grew dangerously bright. "You dare keep up this pretence, after what you have done?"**

**I glanced back at my friends. They looked as confused as I was.**

**"Um ... Uncle," I said. "You keep saying 'after what you've done.' What exactly have I done?"**

"I am curious to learn thus as well," Poseidon remarked, his voice rough and dark.

**The throne room shook with a tremor so strong, they probably felt it upstairs in Los Angeles. Debris fell from the cavern ceiling. Doors burst open all along the walls, and skeletal warriors marched in, hundreds of them, from every time period and nation in Western civilization. They lined the perimeter of the room, blocking the exits.**

"This... really isn't going to end well," Apollo murmured, his eyes growing dim.

Poseidon was completely tensed by this point, and Athena wasn't much better. The room was dead quiet, with only Annabeth's soft voice breaking through the silence.

**Hades bellowed, "Do you think I _want _war, godling?"**

**I wanted to say, _Well, these guys don't look like peace activists._**

Hermes huffed out a breath of laughter, mostly disbelief coating his face. "I'm not sure if Percy is brave or foolish."

"Probably a bit of both," Thalia said weakly.

**But I thought that might be a dangerous answer.**

**"You are the Lord of the Dead," I said carefully. "A war would expand your kingdom, right?"**

**"A typical thing for my brothers to say!**

Poseidon and Zeus exchanged looks.

**Do you think I need more subjects? Did you not see the sprawl of the Asphodel Fields?"**

**"Well..."**

**"Have you any idea how much my kingdom has swollen in this past century alone, how many subdivisions I've had to open?"**

**I opened my mouth to respond, but Hades was on a roll now.**

"Lovely, now he's just going to bitch and whine," Demeter sniffed.

"Compared to _your_ whining, I'm practically a saint." Hades snarled, the tension causing his temper to become downright mercurial.

**"More security ghouls," he moaned. "Traffic problems at the judgement pavilion. Double overtime for the staff. I used to be a rich god, Percy Jackson. I control all the precious metals under the earth. But my expenses!"**

**"Charon wants a pay raise," I blurted, just remembering the fact.**

The entire room was practically gaping at this point. The audacity and sheer _foolishness_ was so incredibly surprising that everyone just had to stop for a moment. Here this boy was, facing down one of the most dangerous gods; a god that is obviously _infuriated_ with him and he's talking about such trivial matters!

**As soon as I said it, I wished I could sew up my mouth.**

"Good, at least he has some sense," Hades seethed, his eyes burning.

**"Don't get me started on Charon!" Hades yelled. "He's been impossible ever since he discovered Italian suits! Problems everywhere, and I've got to handle all of them personally. The commute time alone from the palace to the gates is enough to drive me insane! And the dead just keep arriving. _No, _godling. I need no help getting subjects! I did not ask for this war."**

**"But you took Zeus' master bolt."**

**"Lies!" More rumbling. Hades rose from his throne, towering to the height of a football goalpost. "Your father may fool Zeus, boy, but I am not so stupid. I see his plan."**

"_What_ plan?" Poseidon hissed, glaring at his brother coldly.

"If we _read_ perhaps we shall _find out_," Hades retorted, his voice just as sibilant.

**"His plan?"**

**_"You _were the thief on the winter solstice," he said. "Your father thought to keep you his little secret. He directed you into the throne room on Olympus, you took the master bolt _and _my helmet.**

It was like the room had been electrified with the idea that the Helm of Darkness had been stolen as well. Now an air of anticipation coated the room as well, everyone curious to know how this would play out.

**Had I not sent my Fury to discover you at Yancy Academy, Poseidon might have succeeded in hiding his scheme to start a war. But now you have been forced into the open. You will be exposed as Poseidon's thief, and I will have my helmet back!"**

Dark clouds swirled overhead, shadows crept across the land, and lightning forked through the sky. The three brothers were all anxious and irritated.

**"But ..." Annabeth spoke. I could tell her mind was going a million miles an hour. "Lord Hades, your helmet of darkness is missing, too?"**

**"Do not play innocent with me, girl. You and the satyr have been helping this hero—coming here to threaten me in Poseidon's name, no doubt—to bring me an ultimatum. Does Poseidon think I can be blackmailed into supporting him?"**

"You dare claim my daughter would be in on such a heist?" Athena asked, her tone bordering indignity.

"And why not?" Hades shot back heatedly, "she's followed him thus far!"

"You've already seen the boy's ignorance!"

"Don't claim that I'm to know that!" Hades' head jerked towards the book. "In that book, I am just as ignorant!"

"We've never seen a daughter of Athena and a son of Poseidon get along together as well as Annabeth and Percy," Poseidon pointed out, his voice deeper than usual, "your anger is clouding your judgement."

"And your familial bond is clouding yours," Hades snorted. "It's a logical conclusion on my part, irrelevant of past history!"

"Will you be silent?" Zeus snapped, finally losing his patience. "Some wish to find out what _actually happens_!"

**"No!" I said. "Poseidon didn't—I didn't—"**

**"I have said nothing of the helmet's disappearance," Hades snarled, "because I had no illusions that anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest justice, the slightest help.**

Silence fell once more, Hades glaring at anyone who dared to offer him sympathy.

**I can ill afford for word to get out that my most powerful weapon of fear is missing. So I searched for you myself, and when it was clear you were coming to me to deliver your threat, I did not try to stop you."**

**"You didn't try to stop us? But—"**

**"Return my helmet now, or I will stop death," Hades threatened. "That is my counter-proposal. I will open the earth and have the dead pour back into the world. I will make your lands a nightmare. And you, Percy Jackson—_your _skeleton will lead my army out of Hades."**

The storm clouds swirled darker, until the land outside was given a false night.

**The skeletal soldiers all took one step forward, making their weapons ready.**

**At that point, I probably should have been terrified. The strange thing was, I felt offended. Nothing gets me angrier than being accused of something I didn't do. I've had a lot of experience with that.**

"Here we go," Thalia murmured, setting the others on edge.

**"You're as bad as Zeus," I said. "You think I stole from you? That's why you sent the Furies after me?"**

**"Of course," Hades said.**

**"And the other monsters?"**

**Hades curled his lip. "I had nothing to do with them. I wanted no quick death for you—I wanted you brought before me alive so you might face every torture in the Fields of Punishment.**

Poseidon was tense in his chair, practically trembling with anger.

**Why do you think I let you enter my kingdom so easily?"**

_**"Easily?"**_

**"Return my property!"**

**"But I don't have your helmet. I came for the master bolt."**

**"Which you already possess!" Hades shouted. "You came here with it, little fool, thinking you could you threaten me!"**

**"But I didn't!"**

**"Open your pack, then."**

**A horrible feeling struck me. The weight in my backpack, like a bowling ball. It couldn't be...**

"No..."

It didn't matter who whispered it, the emotion was felt and shared.

**I slung it off my shoulder and unzipped it_. _Inside was a two-foot-long metal cylinder, spiked on both ends, humming with energy.**

Lightning cracked down upon Olympus directly outside of the window, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades were standing before another word could be said.

"Don't!" Athena cried, on her feet not a second later. "No! You've misunderstood!"

"You protect this boy?" Zeus snarled, his Master Bolt crackling dangerously in his hand.

Poseidon didn't speak, his trident at the ready.

"Yes! _Think_, Father!" Athena insisted. _"Where did he get the backpack_?"

The room froze before, as one, they turned to look at Ares. The god of war looked surprised for once.

"Yes..." Zeus obliged, sitting back in his seat carefully. "Yes, you are right, daughter."

It took a few minutes, but everyone became resituated once more. Annabeth blew out a slow breath and continued reading.

**"Percy," Annabeth said. "How—"**

**"I—I don't know. I don't understand."**

**"You heroes are always the same,"**

The demigods frowned, but the gods didn't look all that surprised.

**Hades said. "Your pride makes you foolish, thinking you could bring such a weapon before me. I did not ask for Zeus' master bolt, but since it is here, you will yield it to me. I am sure it will make an excellent bargaining tool. And now ... my helmet. Where is it?"**

**I was speechless. I had no helm. I had no idea how the master bolt had gotten into my backpack. I wanted to think Hades was pulling some kind of trick. Hades was the bad guy.**

**But suddenly the world turned sideways. I realized I'd been played with. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades had been set at each other's throats by someone else.**

The brothers scowled.

**The master bolt had been in the backpack, and I'd gotten the backpack from...**

All three brothers shot infuriated glances at Ares; the god of war was holding himself tense, a confused and angry look furrowed into his brow.

**"Lord Hades, wait," I said. "This is all a mistake."**

**"A mistake?" Hades roared.**

**The skeletons aimed their weapons. From high above, there was a fluttering of leathery wings, and the three Furies swooped down to perch on the back of their master's throne. The one with Mrs. Dodds' face grinned at me eagerly and flicked her whip.**

Leo grimaced, his machine left forgotten in his lap.

**"There is no mistake," Hades said. "I know why you have come—I know the _real _reason you brought the bolt. You came to bargain for _her_."**

**Hades loosed a ball of gold fire from his palm. It exploded on the steps in front of me, and there was my mother, frozen in a shower of gold, just as she was at the moment when the Minotaur began to squeeze her to death.**

Poseidon hissed.

**I couldn't speak. I reached out to touch her, but the light was as hot as a bonfire.**

**"Yes," Hades said with satisfaction. "I took her. I knew, Percy Jackson, that you would come to bargain with me eventually. Return my helmet, and perhaps I will let her go. She is not dead, you know. Not yet. But if you displease me, that will change."**

Poseidon's jaw tightened as he glared at Hades.

**I thought about the pearls in my pocket. Maybe they could get me out of this. If I could just get my mom free...**

**"Ah, the pearls," Hades said, and my blood froze. "Yes, my brother and his little tricks. Bring them forth, Percy Jackson."**

**My hand moved against my will and brought out the pearls.**

The sea god snarled, looking much like a shark snapping at the bit. Hades pulled back, for some reason, controlling his son seemed to have crossed some line with his brother.

**"Only three," Hades said. "What a shame. You do realize each only protects a single person. Try to take your mother, then, little godling. And which of your friends will you leave behind to spend eternity with me? Go on. Choose. Or give me the backpack and accept my terms."**

Athena tensed, suddenly looking a touch fearful for her daughter.

**I looked at Annabeth and Grover. Their faces were grim.**

**"We were tricked," I told them. "Set up."**

**"Yes, but why?" Annabeth asked. "And the voice in the pit—"**

**"I don't know yet," I said. "But I intend to ask."**

**"Decide, boy!" Hades yelled.**

"Yes, do decide," Hades hissed.

"Shut up, Hades," Athena snapped at him, her grey eyes flashing.

**"Percy." Grover put his hand on my shoulder. "You can't give him the bolt."**

**"I know that."**

**"Leave me here," he said. "Use the third pearl on your mom."**

**"No!"**

"You shall fail to save what matters most," Artemis remembered, her eyes falling shut in sorrow. "The prophecy meant Sally Jackson; not the bolt."

Poseidon swallowed hard, his brow furrowed deeply.

**"I'm a satyr," Grover said. "We don't have souls like humans do. He can torture me until I die, but he won't get me forever. I'll just be reincarnated as a flower or something. It's the best way."**

**"No." Annabeth drew her bronze knife. "You two go on. Grover, you have to protect Percy. You have to get your searcher's license and start your quest for Pan. Get his mom out of here. I'll cover you. I plan to go down fighting."**

Athena hissed, the owl that was still in the room fluttered uncomfortably.

**"No way," Grover said. "I'm staying behind."**

**"Think again, goat boy," Annabeth said.**

**"Stop it, both of you!" I felt like my heart was being ripped in two. They had both been with me through so much. I remembered Grover dive-bombing Medusa in the statue garden, and Annabeth saving us from Cerberus; we'd survived Hephaestus's Waterland ride, the St. Louis Arch, the Lotus Casino. I had spent thousands of miles worried that I'd be betrayed by a friend, but these friends would never do that.**

"The poor boy..." Hestia murmured, looking terribly sad.

**They had done nothing but save me, over and over, and now they wanted to sacrifice their lives for my mom.**

**"I know what to do," I said. "Take these."**

**I handed them each a pearl.**

Poseidon froze.

**Annabeth said, "But, Percy ..."**

**I turned and faced my mother. I desperately wanted to sacrifice myself and use the last pearl on her, but I knew what she would say. She would never allow it. I had to get the bolt back to Olympus and tell Zeus the truth. I had to stop the war. She would never forgive me if I saved her instead.**

"No, Sally's not the type," Poseidon said, his voice quiet.

**I thought about the prophecy made at Half-Blood Hill, what seemed like a million years ago. _You will fail to save what matters most in the end._**

**"I'm sorry," I told her. "I'll be back. I'll find a way."**

**The smug look on Hades' face faded.**

"Good," Apollo spat, his eyes burning.

"Shut up, boy," Hades snapped back, glaring just as angrily.

**He said, "Godling ... ?"**

**"I'll find your helmet, Uncle," I told him. "I'll return it. Remember about Charon's pay raise."**

"Good kid," Hermes nodded fiercely.

**"Do not defy me—"**

**"And it wouldn't hurt to play with Cerberus once in a while. He likes red rubber balls."**

Quite a few people nodded in fierce approval.

**"Percy Jackson, you will not—"**

**I shouted, "Now, guys!"**

**We smashed the pearls at our feet. For a scary moment, nothing happened.**

Athena shot Poseidon a dark look.

**Hades yelled, "Destroy them!"**

**The army of skeletons rushed forward, swords out, guns clicking to full automatic. The Furies lunged, their whips bursting into flame.**

A collective breath was inhaled sharply.

**Just as the skeletons opened fire, the pearl fragments at my feet exploded with a burst of green light and a gust of fresh sea wind. I was encased in a milky white sphere, which was starting to float off the ground.**

Athena let out a shaky breath and Poseidon, too, relaxed slowly.

**Annabeth and Grover were right behind me. Spears and bullets sparked harmlessly off the pearl bubbles as we floated up. Hades yelled with such rage, the entire fortress shook and I knew it was not going to be a peaceful night in L.A.**

"No, I bet it isn't," Apollo said, a hint of his normal cheeriness in his voice now that he knew the three were going to be safe.

**"Look up.'" Grover yelled. "We're going to crash!"**

**Sure enough, we were racing right toward the stalactites, which I figured would pop our bubbles and skewer us.**

**"How do you control these things?" Annabeth shouted.**

**"I don't think you do!" I shouted back.**

**We screamed as the bubbles slammed into the ceiling and ... Darkness.**

The room fell into a curious silence as Poseidon grinned broadly, with more than a touch of relief in his smile.

**Were we dead?**

**No, I could still feel the racing sensation. We were going up, right through solid rock as easily as an air bubble in water. That was the power of the pearls, I realized—_What belongs to the sea will always return to the sea._**

Poseidon nodded approvingly, and everyone relaxed again.

**For a few moments, I couldn't see anything outside the smooth walls of my sphere, then my pearl broke through on the ocean floor. The two other milky spheres, Annabeth and Grover, kept pace with me as we soared upward through the water. And—_ker-blam!_**

**We exploded on the surface, in the middle of the Santa Monica Bay, knocking a surfer off his board with an indignant, "Dude!"**

Hermes, Apollo, and Leo were the first to laugh and most certainly the loudest; but they were by no means the only ones. They laughed not because it was funny, but mostly because the last few pages had been so tense that they need a reason for levity. And that indignant surfer was just the one for it.

**I grabbed Grover and hauled him over to a life buoy. I caught Annabeth and dragged her over too.**

Athena looked vaguely grateful as she reassembled her normal austere and dignified persona.

**A curious shark was circling us, a great white about eleven feet long.**

**I said, "Beat it."**

**The shark turned and raced away.**

"Probably to report to Poseidon," Hestia remarked. The sea god did not refute this.

**The surfer screamed something about bad mushrooms and paddled away from us as fast as he could.**

**Somehow, I knew what time it was: early morning, June 21, the day of the summer solstice.**

Annabeth blinked, surprised at this. Obviously Percy hadn't realized that he had known that through his perfect bearings at sea.

**In the distance, Los Angeles was on fire, plumes of smoke rising from neighbourhoods all over the city. There had been an earthquake, all right, and it was Hades's fault. He was probably sending an army of the dead after me right now.**

**But at the moment, the Underworld wasn't my biggest problem.**

"Now how many times does a person get to say that?" Hermes snorted, shaking his head.

**I had to get to shore. I had to get Zeus' thunderbolt back to Olympus. Most of all, I had to have a serious conversation with the god who'd tricked me.**

"Chapter's done," Annabeth said, thumbing the next page. Looking up, a mischievous look was on her face. "Ares, I think you ought to read next?"

"Wha-? Why?" He grunted, eyeing the Big Three cautiously.

"It'll stop people from attacking you, for one," Annabeth offered, tossing it to him.

Ares caught it deftly. "Yeah, good point."

"And the other reason?" Thalia murmured low to Annabeth.

Annabeth smirked. "Let's just say that this is going to be interesting."

"Chapter twenty: I Battle my Jerk Relative."

* * *

_Asinus Stultissimus: _Dumbass

Jesus, this was a tense chapter.

So, for my American friends and fellow Canadians, how many of you have tried the burger chain Five Guys? Honestly, once you try it you will never go back. I'm pretty sure that it's the type of burgers Apollo eats on Olympus because they're just _that good_.

...apparently I'm really hungry.

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	23. Chapter 23

**I Battle my Jerk Relative**

Ares paused for a moment and gave Annabeth a hard look. The blonde merely smiled, a touch of curiosity lighting through the room.

**A Coast Guard boat picked us up, but they were too busy to keep us for long, or to wonder how three kids in street clothes had gotten out into the middle of the bay. There was a disaster to mop up. Their radios were jammed with distress calls.**

The grim reminder of the current state of the world was sobering. If things weren't cleared up soon, it wouldn't just be LA in trouble.

**They dropped us off at the Santa Monica Pier with towels around our shoulders and water bottles that said I'M A JUNIOR COAST GUARD! and sped off to save more people.**

**Our clothes were sopping wet, even mine. When the Coast Guard boat had appeared, I'd silently prayed they wouldn't pick me out of the water and find me perfectly dry, which might've raised some eyebrows. **

"Yeah, just a bit," Apollo snorted.

**So I'd willed myself to get soaked. Sure enough, my usual waterproof magic had abandoned me. I was also barefoot, because I'd given my shoes to Grover.**

"Smart," Hestia nodded approvingly.

**Better the Coast Guard wonder why one of us was barefoot than wonder why one of us had hooves.**

**After reaching dry land, we stumbled down the beach, watching the city burn against a beautiful sunrise. I felt as if I'd just come back from the dead—which I had.**

"I've been meaning to ask, Lord Hades," Annabeth said, looking at the god of death. "But, will a living being end up dead if they spend too much time in the Underworld?"

"In a manner of speaking," Hades replied slowly, "I could not fathom why a live human would enter my domain; but they -theoretically of course- would fade."

"Fade?"

"That is what I said."

"Well, I knew gods and immortals could fade," Annabeth clarified dubiously. "But not humans."

"It's not the same, exactly," Hades told her, "it's more of a slow drain, the life seeps away until there's nothing left. If they left the Underworld, I assume it would be similar to stepping into the sun after too long in a dark room. The longer in the dark, the more painful the sun."

"Hmm..." Annabeth hummed, nodding thoughtfully. "Thank you."

Hades shrugged in reply.

**My backpack was heavy with Zeus's master bolt. My heart was even heavier from seeing my mother.**

Sad looks were exchanged at this.

**"I don't believe it," Annabeth said. "We went all that way—"**

**"It was a trick," I said. "A strategy worthy of Athena."**

"An unfortunate truth," Athena said simply, "though, I worry as to who is the true puppet master."

"I think we already know who the true puppet master is," Artemis replied grimly.

"A perturbing notion," Athena murmured.

**"Hey," she warned.**

**"You get it, don't you?"**

**She dropped her eyes, her anger fading. "Yeah. I get it."**

**"Well, I don't!" Grover complained. "Would somebody—"**

**"Percy ..." Annabeth said. "I'm sorry about your mother. I'm so sorry..."**

**I pretended not to hear her. If I talked about my mother, I was going to start crying like a little kid.**

"That's perfectly all right at this point," Hera said, her voice turning soothing. "The poor boy, he didn't do anything to deserve this."

"That's rich, coming from you," Hephaestus muttered with a snort.

**"The prophecy was right," I said. "You shall go west and face the god who has turned.' But it wasn't Hades. Hades didn't want war among the Big Three.**

"Only a fool would," Hades scoffed.

**Someone else pulled off the theft. Someone stole Zeus's master bolt, and Hades's helm, and framed me because I'm Poseidon's kid. Poseidon will get blamed by both sides.**

Hades and Zeus exchanged looks as Poseidon looked grim.

**By sundown today, there will be a three-way war. And I'll have caused it."**

"You may be the catalyst, but you didn't cause it," Hestia murmured.

**Grover shook his head, mystified. "But who would be that sneaky? Who would want war that bad?"**

**I stopped in my tracks, looking down the beach. "Gee, let me think."**

**There he was, waiting for us, in his black leather duster and his sunglasses, an aluminium baseball bat propped on his shoulder. His motorcycle rumbled beside him, its head light turning the sand red.**

A fissure of anticipation rippled through the room, and Ares' voice became just a touch tighter as he read on.

**"Hey, kid," Ares said, seeming genuinely pleased to see me. "You were supposed to die."**

Poseidon's gaze was heavy with the weight of ocean as it pinned Ares in place.

**"You tricked me," I said. _"You _stole the helm and the master bolt."**

**Ares grinned. "Well, now, I didn't steal them personally. Gods taking each other's symbols of power—that's a big no-no. But you're not the only hero in the world who can run errands."**

**"Who did you use? Clarisse? She was there at the winter solstice."**

"I want to call on that and say that he's picking on Clarisse," Artemis said slowly, "but... it _is_ logical."

**The idea seemed to amuse him.**

Thalia and Annabeth exchanged looks.

**"Doesn't matter. The point is, kid, you're impeding the war effort. See, you've got to die in the Underworld. Then Old Seaweed**

Poseidon scowled darkly.

**will be mad at Hades for killing you. Corpse Breath**

Hades' eyes flared dangerously.

**will have Zeus's master bolt, so Zeus'll be mad at _him. _And Hades is still looking for this …"**

**From his pocket he took out a ski cap—the kind bank robbers wear—and placed it between the handlebars of his bike. Immediately, the cap transformed into an elaborate bronze war helmet.**

"My helm..." Hades snarled darkly.

**"The helm of darkness," Grover gasped.**

**"Exactly," Ares said. "Now where was I? Oh yeah, Hades will be mad at both Zeus and Poseidon, because he doesn't know who took this. Pretty soon, we got a nice little three-way slugfest going."**

All three of the brothers shot Ares dangerous glares.

**"But they're your family!" Annabeth protested.**

**Ares shrugged. "Best kind of war. Always the bloodiest. Nothing like watching your relatives fight, I always say."**

Ares sunk in his seat, looking peculiarly like a petulant child as his family gave him angry looks.

**"You gave me the backpack in Denver," I said. "The master bolt was in there the whole time."**

**"Yes and no," Ares said. "It's probably too complicated for your little mortal brain to follow, but the backpack is the master bolt's sheath, just morphed a bit. The bolt is connected to it, sort of like that sword you got, kid.**

"How did he know that?" Leo muttered.

"He's the god of war, Leo," Jason replied quietly. "How do you think he knows?"

**It always returns to your pocket, right?"**

**I wasn't sure how Ares knew about that, but I guess a god of war had to make it his business to know about weapons.**

Jason tossed Leo a 'you see?' look.

**"Anyway," Ares continued, "I tinkered with the magic a bit, so the bolt would only return to the sheath once you reached the Underworld.**

Zeus' back stiffened and his knuckles turned white from his grip on his master bolt.

**You get close to Hades... Bingo, you got mail. If you died along the way—no loss. I still had the weapon."**

**"But why not just keep the master bolt for yourself?" I said. "Why send it to Hades?"**

Athena paused. "That... is a viable question."

**Ares got a twitch in his jaw. For a moment, it was almost as if he were listening to another voice, deep inside his head. "Why didn't I ... yeah ... with that kind of fire power ..."**

"He's being controlled," Hera said slowly, glancing at her son.

"Nobody controls me!" Ares snapped.

"Don't be foolish," Athena interjected, giving him a hard look. "There is a greater force at work here, we've all come to realize this! And do you really _want_ to be the one responsible for this?"

"Shut up..." Ares grumbled, obviously put-out by the idea, "now where was I...?"

**He held the trance for one second ... two seconds...**

**I exchanged nervous looks with Annabeth.**

**Ares' face cleared. "I didn't want the trouble. Better to have you caught red handed, holding the thing."**

**"You're lying,"**

"Careful kid," Apollo remarked slowly. "Ares is volatile at best."

"The title of this chapter states that he's going to battle Ares," Dionysus pointed out flatly. "Might as well get used to the idea now."

**I said. "Sending the bolt to the Underworld wasn't your idea, was it?"**

**"Of course it was!" Smoke drifted up from his sun glasses, as if they were about to catch fire.**

**"You didn't order the theft,"**

"There's a difference between pushing for a fight and pushing for being turned into something," Apollo pointed out. "If Percy isn't careful, he's going to piss Ares off before they get to battle."

**I guessed. "Someone else sent a hero to steal the two items. Then, when Zeus sent you to hunt him down, you caught the thief. But you didn't turn him over to Zeus. Something convinced you to let him go. You kept the items until another hero could come along and complete the delivery. That thing in the pit is ordering you around."**

Athena nodded. "Perseus has figured it out."

"You believe this version of events then?" Zeus questioned his daughter.

"Yes."

**"I am the god of war! I take orders from no one! I don't have dreams!"**

The room paused.

**I hesitated. "Who said anything about dreams?"**

"I didn't even know gods could get dreams," Piper murmured.

"We can't normally dove," Aphrodite said, her tone lacking it's usual flair. "That's why this is so surprising... and worrying."

**Ares looked agitated, but he tried to cover it with a smirk.**

**"Let's get back to the problem at hand, kid. You're alive. I can't have you taking that bolt to Olympus. You just might get those hardheaded idiots to listen to you.**

Lightning flashed, illuminating the room ominously.

**So I've got to kill you. Nothing personal."**

The clouds swirled and it began to rain, Poseidon's eyes were dark as he listened.

**He snapped his fingers. The sand exploded at his feet and out charged a wild boar, even larger and uglier than the one whose head hung above the door of cabin seven at Camp Half-Blood. The beast pawed the sand, glaring at me with beady eyes as it lowered its razor-sharp tusks and waited for the command to kill.**

Tension tightened in the room, waiting for the first move.

**I stepped into the surf. "Fight me yourself, Ares."**

"Yes, try it," Poseidon said, his tone deceptively calm.

**He laughed, but I heard a little edge to his laughter ... an uneasiness.**

"Good," Hermes smirked darkly.

**"You've only got one talent, kid, running away. You ran from the Chimera. You ran from the Underworld. You don't have what it takes."**

Annabeth smiled at this, but it was not a nice smile.

**"Scared?"**

**"In your adolescent dreams." But his sunglasses were starting to melt from the heat of his eyes. "No direct involvement. Sorry, kid. You're not at my level."**

**Annabeth said, "Percy, run!"**

**The giant boar charged.**

**But I was done running from monsters. Or Hades, or Ares, or anybody.**

Poseidon nodded approvingly, a fiercely proud look glimmering in his eyes.

**As the boar rushed me, I uncapped my pen and side stepped. Riptide appeared in my hands. I slashed upward. The boar's severed right tusk fell at my feet, while the disoriented animal charged into the sea.**

**I shouted, "Wave!"**

**Immediately, a wave surged up from nowhere and engulfed the boar, wrapping around it like a blanket. The beast squealed once in terror. Then it was gone, swallowed by the sea.**

"Son of a _bitch_..." Apollo whistled appreciatively. "Damn, Ares, but this kid might just have a chance..."

"I doubt that," Ares snarled in response. "Now shut up and let me read the damned book."

**I turned back to Ares. "Are you going to fight me now?" I asked. "Or are you going to hide behind another pet?"**

**Ares' face was purple with rage. "Watch it, kid. I could turn you into—"**

**"A cockroach," I said. "Or a tapeworm. Yeah, I'm sure. That'd save you from getting your godly hide whipped, wouldn't it?"**

Leo choked on a laugh, his eyes wide with surprise. "Crap, Percy goes all out when he's pissed, doesn't he?"

"Damn straight, he does," Thalia nodded.

**Flames danced along the top of his glasses. "Oh, man, you are really asking to be smashed into a grease spot."**

**"If I lose, turn me into anything you want. Take the bolt. If I win, the helm and the bolt are mine and _you _have to go away."**

"High stakes," Hades sneered, "hopefully he doesn't fuck it up."

"He won't." There was not a trace of doubt in Poseidon's voice.

**Ares sneered.**

**He swung the baseball bat off his shoulder. "How would you like to get smashed: classic or modern?"**

**I showed him my sword.**

**"That's cool, dead boy," he said. "Classic it is." The baseball bat changed into a huge, two-handed sword. The hilt was a large silver skull with a ruby in its mouth.**

Piper's grip on Jason's hand tightened, and he squeezed back assuredly.

**"Percy," Annabeth said. "Don't do this. He's a god."**

**"He's a coward," I told her.**

"Indeed," Artemis glared at Ares.

"Don't judge Ares too harshly," Athena cautioned. "He is still being controlled."

"Who's side are you on?" Apollo demanded of her.

Athena shot him an irritated look.

**She swallowed. "Wear this, at least. For luck."**

**She took off her necklace, with her five years' worth of camp beads and the ring from her father, and tied it around my neck.**

**"Reconciliation," she said. "Athena and Poseidon together."**

Said gods exchanged glances; hesitation, uncertainty and more than a touch of disdain in their glances.

**My face felt a little warm, but I managed a smile. "Thanks."**

**"And take this," Grover said. He handed me a flattened tin can that he'd probably been saving in his pocket for a thousand miles. "The satyrs stand behind you."**

**"Grover ... I don't know what to say."**

**He patted me on the shoulder. I stuffed the tin can in my back pocket.**

"Adorable," Dionysus muttered.

**"You all done saying good-bye?" Ares came toward me, his black leather duster trailing behind him, his sword glinting like fire in the sunrise. "I've been fighting for eternity, kid. My strength is unlimited and I cannot die. What have you got?"**

**A smaller ego,**

A number of people snickered at this; it had been a long time since Ares got beat, quite a few people would by lying if they said they weren't looking forward to this.

**I thought, but I said nothing. I kept my feet in the surf, backing into the water up to my ankles. I thought back to what Annabeth had said at the Denver diner, so long ago: _Ares has strength. That's all he has. Even strength has to how to wisdom sometimes._**

Athena nodded, intrigued to learn what Percy was going to do.

**He cleaved downward at my head, but I wasn't there.**

**My body thought for me. The water seemed to push me into the air and I catapulted over him, slashing as I came down.**

"Note to self: don't fight Percy Jackson in the water," Apollo whistled.

"Hush!" Artemis scolded, anxious to hear what happens.

**But Ares was just as quick. He twisted, and the strike that should've caught him directly in the spine was deflected off the end of his sword hilt.**

**He grinned. "Not bad, not bad."**

**He slashed again and I was forced to jump onto dry land.**

A collective groan rose up from the captivated audience.

**I tried to sidestep, to get back to the water, but Ares seemed to know what I wanted.**

"Because it's obvious," Ares muttered before diving back into the book.

**He outmanoeuvred me, pressing so hard I had to put all my concentration on not getting sliced into pieces. I kept backing away from the surf.**

Poseidon muttered a curse.

**I couldn't find any openings to attack. His sword had a reach several feet longer than Anaklusmos.**

**_Get in close, _Luke had told me once, back in our sword class. _When you've got the shorter __blade, get in close._**

"Irony," Annabeth mumbled, "thy name is Luke."

**I stepped inside with a thrust, but Ares was waiting for that.**

**He knocked my blade out of my hands and kicked me in the chest. I went airborne—twenty, maybe thirty feet. I would've broken my back if I hadn't crashed into the soft sand of a dune.**

Poseidon sat bolt upright and the rain began to pound down on the dome; Hera flicked her fingers and the windows shut with loud slams, making a number of people jump.

**"Percy!" Annabeth yelled. "Cops!"**

**I was seeing double. My chest felt like it had just been hit with a battering ram,**

Ares scoffed as he read.

**but I managed to get to my feet.**

**I couldn't look away from Ares for fear he'd slice me in half, but out of the corner of my eye I saw red lights flashing on the shoreline boulevard. Car doors were slamming.**

"Here we go again," Leo remarked, though his tone held none of his usual levity.

**"There, officer!" somebody yelled. "See?"**

**A gruff cop voice: "Looks like that kid on TV ... what the heck ..."**

Leo and Jason exchanged glances.

**"That guy's armed," another cop said. "Call for backup."**

**I rolled to one side as Ares' blade slashed the sand.**

Poseidon hissed out a breath.

**I ran for my sword, scooped it up, and launched a swipe at Ares' face, only to find my blade deflected again.**

**Ares seemed to know exactly what I was going to do the moment before I did it.**

The god of war rolled his eyes as he read, obviously unimpressed. Well no _shit_ he knew what the kid was going to do, he'd been doing this for _how_ long?

**I stepped back toward the surf, forcing him to follow.**

**"Admit it, kid," Ares said. "You got no hope. I'm just toying with you."**

**My senses were working overtime. I now understood what Annabeth had said about ADHD keeping you alive in battle. I was wide awake, noticing every little detail.**

"Good," Athena murmured, her eyes glinting.

**I could see where Ares was tensing. I could tell which way he would strike. At the same time, I was aware of Annabeth and Grover, thirty feet to my left. I saw a second cop car pulling up, siren wailing. Spectators, people who had been wandering the streets because of the earthquake, were starting to gather. Among the crowd, I thought I saw a few who were walking with the strange, trotting gait of disguised satyrs. There were shimmering forms of spirits, too, as if the dead had risen from Hades to watch the battle. I heard the flap of leathery wings circling somewhere above.**

"I bet there are more than a few gods watching in that crowd too," Hermes remarked quietly. "Most everyone will be watching this fight closely."

"Who wouldn't?" Apollo replied. "The Lightning Thief versus the God of War."

"_Supposed_ lightning thief," Annabeth corrected.

**More sirens.**

**I stepped farther into the water, but Ares was fast. The tip of his blade ripped my sleeve and grazed my forearm.**

Ares smirked and the rain slammed against the window, as if fighting to get in.

**A police voice on a megaphone said, "Drop the guns.' Set them on the ground. Now!"**

**Guns?**

**I looked at Ares' weapon, and it seemed to be flickering; sometimes it looked like a shotgun, sometimes a two-handed sword. I didn't know what the humans were seeing in my hands, but I was pretty sure it wouldn't make them like me.**

"Depends on if you win or not, I guess," Jason muttered.

**Ares turned to glare at our spectators, which gave me a moment to breathe. There were five police cars now, and a line of officers crouching behind them, pistols trained on us.**

**"This is a private matter!" Ares bellowed. "Begone.'"**

**He swept his hand, and a wall of red flame rolled across the patrol cars. The police barely had time to dive for cover before their vehicles exploded.**

Aphrodite shot him a disapproving look which he just shrugged at.

**The crowd behind them scattered, screaming.**

**Ares roared with laughter. "Now, little hero. Let's add you to the barbecue."**

**He slashed. I deflected his blade. I got close enough to strike, tried to fake him out with a feint, but my blow was knocked aside. The waves were hitting me in the back now. Ares was up to his thighs, wading in after me.**

Poseidon chuckled, but it held none of it's usual warmth. "Well, Ares," he said, his voice deeper than usual, "now we see your fatal mistake."

Ares shifted uncomfortably.

**I felt the rhythm of the sea, the waves growing larger as the tide rolled in, and suddenly I had an idea. _Little waves, _I thought. And the water behind me seemed to recede. I was holding back the tide by force of will, but tension was building, like carbonation behind a cork.**

Athena's eyebrows raised and it felt like the entire room had leant forwards in anticipation.

"You have sired a powerful demigod, Poseidon," Athena remarked. "I hesitate to say it... but his powers almost seem to be level with that of your other son, Triton. If he had the same powers as any god, than I'd say he's stronger."

"Indeed," Poseidon murmured in reply.

**Ares came toward, grinning confidently. I lowered my blade, as if I were too exhausted to go on. _Wait for it, _I told the sea. The pressure now was almost lifting me off my feet. Ares raised his sword. I released the tide and jumped, rocketing straight over Ares on a wave.**

A cheer burst from the room, but it was short lived as they quieted quickly in order to hear more.

**A six-foot wall of water smashed him full in the face, leaving him cursing and sputtering with a mouth full of seaweed.**

Poseidon smirked, leaning back in his chair.

**I landed behind him with a splash and feinted toward his head, as I'd done before. He turned in time to raise his sword, but this time he was disoriented, he didn't anticipate the trick. I changed direction, lunged to the side, and stabbed Riptide straight down into the water, sending the point through the god's heel.**

"Matris _futuor_," Apollo whistled. "I think you might have to scratch your prior assessment, Athena. I think this kid is at least as strong as a minor god, but in the water he becomes even stronger."

"You're not suggesting he is at our level," Zeus' voice was more of a warning than anything else.

"No," Athena shook her head, "he's suggesting that the boy is less than us but more than a minor god."

"The only thing is that he still holds all of the weaknesses as a demigod," Artemis pointed out.

**The roar that followed made Hades's earthquake look like a minor event. The very sea was blasted back from Ares, leaving a wet circle of sand fifty feet wide.**

**Ichor, the golden blood of the gods, flowed from a gash in the war god's boot. The expression on his face was beyond hatred. It was pain, shock, complete disbelief that he'd been wounded.**

The Ares reading was trembling; disbelief, humiliation, and anger all making it difficult for him to hold still. Aphrodite placed a calming hand on the back of his neck, but it did little to calm him wholly.

**He limped toward me, muttering ancient Greek curses.**

**Something stopped him.**

**It was as if a cloud covered the sun, but worse. Light faded. Sound and colour drained away. A cold, heavy presence passed over the beach, slowing time, dropping the temperature to freezing, and making me feel like life was hopeless, fighting was useless.**

Lightning flashed as Zeus' expression grew grim.

**The darkness lifted.**

**Ares looked stunned.**

**Police cars were burning behind us. The crowd of spectators had fled. Annabeth and Grover stood on the beach, in shock, watching the water flood back around Ares' feet, his glowing golden ichor dissipating in the tide.**

**Ares lowered his sword.**

**"You have made an enemy, godling," he told me. "You have sealed your fate. Every time you raise your blade in battle, every time you hope for success, you will feel my curse.**

Rain lashed at the window, particularly at the one closest to Ares.

**Beware, Perseus Jackson. Beware."**

**His body began to glow.**

"**Percy!" Annabeth shouted. "Don't watch!"**

**I turned away as the god Ares revealed his true immortal form. I somehow knew that if I looked, I would disintegrate into ashes.**

**The light died.**

**I looked back. Ares was gone. The tide rolled out to reveal Hades' bronze helm of darkness.**

Hades' body relaxed slowly, tension ebbing out in the wake of his helm being recovered.

**I picked it up and walked toward my friends.**

**But before I got there, I heard the flapping of leathery wings. Three evil-looking grandmothers with lace hats and fiery whips drifted down from the sky and landed in front of me.**

**The middle Fury, the one who had been Mrs. Dodds, stepped forward. Her fangs were bared, but for once she didn't look threatening. She looked more disappointed, as if she'd been planning to have me for supper, but had decided I might give her indigestion.**

Apollo snorted, breaking through the cloud of tension easily.

**"We saw the whole thing," she hissed. "So ... it truly was not you?"**

**I tossed her the helmet, which she caught in surprise.**

**"Return that to Lord Hades," I said. "Tell him the truth. Tell him to call off the war."**

Hades paused. "He had no way of knowing if I would give his mother back," he mused slowly. "So why would he give me my helm?"

"Because Percy is more focused on doing the right thing than trying to figure out how to use a situation to his advantage," Annabeth replied.

"Meaning, he didn't realize that he could," Hades drawled.

Annabeth shrugged. "Percy rarely looks for a way to twist people to do what he needs them to do; he can when he needs to, but he doesn't look for such ways unless necessary."

"Commendable," Athena said, "and foolish."

**She hesitated, then ran a forked tongue over her green, leathery lips. "Live well, Percy Jackson. Become a true hero. Because if you do not, if you ever come into my clutches again …"**

**She cackled, savouring the idea. Then she and her sisters rose on their bats' wings, fluttered into the smoke-filled sky, and disappeared.**

"Creepy."

**I joined Grover and Annabeth, who were staring at me in amazement.**

**"Percy ..." Grover said. "That was so incredibly ..."**

**"Terrifying," said Annabeth.**

**"Cool!" Grover corrected.**

**I didn't feel terrified. I certainly didn't feel cool. I was tired and sore and completely drained of energy.**

"What did you expect?" Apollo looked amused.

**"Did you guys feel that... whatever it was?" I asked.**

**They both nodded uneasily.**

**"Must've been the Furies overhead," Grover said.**

**But I wasn't so sure. Something had stopped Ares from killing me, and whatever could do that was a lot stronger than the Furies.**

A few gods exchanged grim looks.

**I looked at Annabeth, and an understanding passed between us. I knew now what was in that pit, what had spoken from the entrance of Tartarus.**

**I reclaimed my backpack from Grover and looked inside. The master bolt was still there. Such a small thing to almost cause World War III.**

Zeus scowled indignantly as his brothers exchanged amused looks.

**"We have to get back to New York," I said. "By tonight."**

**"That's impossible," Annabeth said, "unless we—"**

**"Fly," I agreed.**

Poseidon's amused look turned into a cringe as Zeus raised a brow, looking wholly unimpressed.

**She stared at me. "Fly, like, in an airplane, which you were warned never to do lest Zeus strike you out of the sky, _and _carrying a weapon that has more destructive power than a nuclear bomb?"**

**"Yeah," I said. "Pretty much exactly like that. Come on."**

"Hot damn," Apollo whistled.

"Chapter's done," Ares chucked the book at the coffee table. "Knock yourselves out."

Without another word, the god of war got to his feet and stormed out of the room. Aphrodite rolled her eyes and flipped her hair. "He's _such_ a drama queen."

"Coming from you," Artemis snorted.

Aphrodite ignored her. "In any case, Ares needs to go sooth his wounded ego; read on, my lovelies!"

"Never refer to me in that way again," Demeter scowled before taking the book. "Chapter twenty-one," she said, "I Settle My Tab."

* * *

_Matris Futuor_: Mother fucker.

Yes, I do think Percy's that powerful. Nico says that he reckons Percy's the most powerful demigod in current existence. Nico's been to both Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-blood, so I reckon that Percy is one powerful guy.

In any case, hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	24. Chapter 24

**I Settle My Tab**

"Finally," Apollo chuckled.

**It's funny how humans can wrap their mind around things and fit them into their version of reality. Chiron had told me that long ago. As usual, I didn't appreciate his wisdom until much later.**

"Such is youth," Athena remarked, looking vaguely amused. "It has always happened thusly."

**According to the L.A. news, the explosion at the Santa Monica beach had been caused when a crazy kidnapper fired a shotgun at a police car. He accidentally hit a gas main that had ruptured during the earthquake.**

"Nope, just two gods trying to kill one kid," Apollo snorted.

**This crazy kidnapper (a.k.a. Ares) was the same man who had abducted me and two other adolescents in New York and brought us across country on a ten-day odyssey of terror.**

**Poor little Percy Jackson wasn't an international criminal after all.**

"Well, at least that solves that problem," Leo chuckled.

**He'd caused a commotion on that Greyhound bus in New Jersey trying to get away from his captor (and afterwards, witnesses would even swear they had seen the leather-clad man on the bus—"Why didn't I remember him before?").**

Piper, Leo, and Jason exchanged looks. Wondering if this was just the power of suggestion or if the Mist was purposely twisting their memories.

**The crazy man had caused the explosion in the St. Louis Arch. After all, no kid could've done that.**

Annabeth and Thalia snorted at that. They had _no_ idea.

**A concerned waitress in Denver had seen the man threatening his abductees outside her diner, gotten a friend to take a photo, and notified the police.**

Hera nodded approvingly.

**Finally, brave Percy Jackson (I was beginning to like this kid)**

The room chuckled.

**had stolen a gun from his captor in Los Angeles and battled him shotgun-to-rifle on the beach. Police had arrived just in time. But in the spectacular explosion, five police cars had been destroyed and the captor had fled. No fatalities had occurred. Percy Jackson and his two friends were safely in police custody.**

"Not sure how safe any demigod is in police custody," Piper muttered rebelliously.

**The reporters fed us this whole story. We just nodded and acted tearful and exhausted (which wasn't hard), and played victimized kids for the cameras.**

"No, I reckon that's not difficult at all by this point," Artemis said grimly.

**"All I want," I said, choking back my tears, "is to see my loving stepfather again.**

Poseidon jerked slightly, an eyebrow raising at that statement.

**Every time I saw him on TV, calling me a delinquent punk, I knew ... somehow ... we would be okay.**

A few people snorted.

**And I know he'll want to reward each and every person in this beautiful city of Los Angeles with a free major appliance from his store. Here's the phone number."**

And promptly burst into a smattering of laughs.

**The police and reporters were so moved that they passed around the hat and raised money for three tickets on the next plane to New York.**

"He's not going to like that, is he?" Piper asked, looking past Leo and Thalia to Annabeth.

"No, no he is not," Annabeth replied dryly.

**I knew there was no choice but to fly. I hoped Zeus would cut me some slack, considering the circumstances. But it was still hard to force myself on board the flight.**

"Of that, I have no doubt," Poseidon stated, shaking his head.

"Zeus won't touch him," Hera said simply, "not if it meant the loss of his Master Bolt."

Zeus scowled darkly.

**Takeoff was a nightmare. Every spot of turbulence was scarier than a Greek monster.**

**I didn't unclench my hands from the armrests until we touched down safely at La Guardia.**

"His hands must've been hurting after that," Hermes remarked offhandedly.

**The local press was waiting for us outside security, but we managed to evade them thanks to Annabeth, who lured them away in her invisible Yankees cap, shouting, "They're over by the frozen yogurt! Come on!" then rejoined us at baggage claim.**

"A smart move," Athena praised.

**We split up at the taxi stand. I told Annabeth and Grover to get back to Half-Blood Hill and let Chiron know what had happened. They protested, and it was hard to let them go after all we'd been through, but I knew I had to do this last part of the quest by myself. If things went wrong, if the gods didn't believe me ... I wanted Annabeth and Grover to survive to tell Chiron the truth.**

"And so he makes the last trek alone," Hestia remarked. "A brave choice."

"And painful," Annabeth said, grimacing somewhat. "Neither of us wanted to go, but Percy... well, we didn't have the time to argue."

**I hopped in a taxi and headed into Manhattan.**

**Thirty minutes later, I walked into the lobby of the Empire State Building.**

**I must have looked like a homeless kid, with my tattered clothes and my scraped-up face. I hadn't slept in at least twenty-four hours.**

"Please," Aphrodite sniffed, "if you look anything like your father, you'll just look like a regular James Dean. Now _there_ was a handsome lad; the rebel-without-a-cause thing was simply... _wondrous_..."

Poseidon looked amused.

**I went up to the guard at the front desk and said, "Six hundredth floor."**

**He was reading a huge book with a picture of a wizard on the front. I wasn't much into fantasy, but the book must've been good, because the guard took a while to look up. "No such floor, kiddo."**

"Really?" Jason chuckled wryly. "He just can't catch a break, can he?"

**"I need an audience with Zeus."**

**He gave me a vacant smile. "Sorry?"**

**"You heard me."**

**I was about to decide this guy was just a regular mortal, and I'd better run for it before he called the straitjacket patrol, when he said, "No appointment, no audience, kiddo. Lord Zeus doesn't see anyone unannounced."**

**"Oh, I think he'll make an exception." I slipped off my backpack and unzipped the top.**

Apollo cackled. "Sweet move, that's going to freak him out big time."

"I think Percy's a little past caring at this point," Hermes laughed.

**The guard looked inside at the metal cylinder, not getting what it was for a few seconds. Then his face went pale. "That isn't..."**

**"Yes, it is," I promised. "You want me to take it out and—"**

"He wouldn't," Piper said, looking surprised.

"No, he wouldn't," Annabeth giggled. "But this guy doesn't know that."

**"No! No!" He scrambled out of his seat, fumbled around his desk for a key card, then handed it to me. "Insert this in the security slot. Make sure nobody else is in the elevator with you."**

"It doesn't matter if they are," Dionysus scoffed. "They won't be able to step out of the elevator and think it's just a dream once they hit their floor. The Mist there is stronger than anywhere else."

**I did as he told me. As soon as the elevator doors closed, I slipped the key into the slot. The card disappeared and a new button appeared on the console, a red one that said 600.**

**I pressed it and waited, and waited.**

**Music played. "Raindrops keep falling on my head..."**

"Why do we play such songs?" Apollo moaned with annoyance. "Can't I just-"

"No," Artemis replied sharply. "The last time you changed the music in the elevator, we had people waltzing. To _Kesha_!"

Apollo pouted.

**Finally, _ding. _The doors slid open. I stepped out and almost had a heartattack.**

**I was standing on a narrow stone walkway in the middle of the air. Below me was Manhattan, from the height of an airplane.**

"I didn't figure Percy to be afraid of heights," Piper remarked.

"He isn't," Annabeth said dryly, "he's afraid of falling."

"Or of stray lightning bolts hitting him in the face."

"Point to Leo."

"Booyeah!"

**In front of me, white marble steps wound up the spine of a cloud, into the sky. My eyes followed the stairway to its end, where my brain just could not accept what I saw.**

**Look again, my brain said.**

**We're looking, my eyes insisted. It's really there.**

A number of people looked amused at that.

**From the top of the clouds rose the decapitated peak of a mountain, its summit covered with snow. Clinging to the mountainside were dozens of multileveled palaces—a city of mansions—all with white-columned porticoes, gilded terraces, and bronze braziers glowing with a thousand fires. Roads wound crazily up to the peak, where the largest palace gleamed against the snow. Precariously perched gar dens bloomed with olive trees and rosebushes. I could make out an open-air market filled with colourful tents, a stone amphitheatre built on one side of the mountain, a hippodrome and a coliseum on the other.**

"An excellent description," Athena remarked, all the gods looked faintly pleased.

**It was an Ancient Greek city, except it wasn't in ruins. It was new, and clean, and colourful, the way Athens must've looked twenty-five hundred years ago.**

"Must be a wonder..." Piper remarked wistfully.

**This place can't be here, I told myself. The tip of a mountain hanging over New York City like a billion-ton asteroid? How could something like that be anchored above the Empire State Building, in plain sight of millions of people, and not get noticed?**

"He still hasn't totally accepted the idea of the Mist yet, has he?" Demeter sniffed. "He's obviously lacking his fibre."

"Obviously," Hades drawled, rolling his eyes.

**But here it was. And here I was.**

**My trip through Olympus was a daze. I passed some giggling wood nymphs who threw olives at me from their garden.**

"Nymphs," Annabeth muttered, rolling her eyes skyward.

"Jealous?" Aphrodite crooned.

"Definitely," Annabeth replied dryly.

Aphrodite eyed the girl carefully as the others chuckled, obviously thinking Annabeth was being sarcastic. Aphrodite... well, she wasn't so sure.

**Hawkers in the market offered to sell me ambrosia-on-a-stick, and a new shield, and a genuine glitter-weave replica of the Golden Fleece,**

Thalia and Annabeth exchanged amused looks.

**as seen on Hephaestus-TV. The nine muses were tuning their instruments for a concert in the park while a small crowd gathered—satyrs and naiads and a bunch of good-looking teenagers who might've been minor gods and goddesses. Nobody seemed worried about an impending civil war. In fact, everybody seemed in a festive mood.**

"Well, if the world is going to end, might as well get their kicks in now," Leo snorted, shaking his head.

"Exactly," Dionysus remarked mildly.

**Several of them turned to watch me pass, and whispered to themselves.**

**I climbed the main road, toward the big palace at the peak. It was a reverse copy of the palace in the Underworld. There, everything had been black and bronze. Here, everything glittered white and silver. I realized Hades must've built his palace to resemble this one. He wasn't welcomed in Olympus except on the winter solstice, so he'd built his own Olympus underground.**

"I just made it better," Hades said loftily.

"Yeah, who wouldn't want to live somewhere dark and decrepit?" Hermes chuckled.

"Someone who can actually put up with their arrogant and asinine relatives," Hades retorted.

"Alliteration!" Apollo crowed cheerfully.

Artemis smacked her forehead. "Idiot..."

**Despite my bad experience with him, I felt a little sorry for the guy. To be banished from this place seemed really unfair. It would make anybody bitter.**

"I hardly need pity," Hades scoffed, a hint of something annoyed glimmering in his eyes.

**Steps led up to a central courtyard. Past that, the throne room.**

**_Room _really isn't the right word. The place made Grand Central Station look like a broom closet. Massive columns rose to a domed ceiling, which was gilded with moving constellations.**

"Is it on a cycle? Or, like, magic?" Leo asked, immediately turning to his father. "I mean, to make them move?"

"Cyclical," Hephaestus replied easily.

"Is it run on anything in particular?" Leo asked eagerly, his brown eyes glinting. "Did you use back light, or is it just particular metals? Or did you use natural lights for the constellations? Is it from the view point of New York or did you run it from the North pole or something? How-"

"Leo!" Jason called, laughing as he pulled the boy back. "Relax, man, you can ask him later!"

Leo pouted, though the effect was somewhat ruined by the small grin tugging at his mouth.

**Twelve thrones, built for beings the size of Hades,**

The gods snorted.

**were arranged in an inverted U, just like the cabins at Camp Half-Blood. An enormous fire crackled in the central hearth pit. The thrones were empty except for two at the end: the head throne on the right, and the one to its immediate left.**

Zeus and Poseidon exchanged looks.

**I didn't have to be told who the two gods were that were sitting there, waiting for me to approach. I came toward them, my legs trembling.**

**The gods were in giant human form, as Hades had been, but I could barely look at them without feeling a tingle, as if my body were starting to burn.**

"Didn't even realize that happened," Apollo hummed. "Weird."

**Zeus, the Lord of the Gods, wore a dark blue pinstriped suit. He sat on a simple throne of solid platinum. He had a well-trimmed beard, marbled grey and black like a storm cloud. His face was proud and handsome and grim, his eyes rainy grey.**

"It's interesting that the two of you," Piper looked between Thalia and Jason, "have blue eyes but your father has grey. Especially as Poseidon's known as the Stormbringer, not Zeus."

"You're referring to the 'rainy grey' comment, yeah?" Thalia asked.

Piper nodded. Jason shrugged. "Who knows."

**As I got nearer to him, the air crackled and smelled of ozone.**

**The god sitting next to him was his brother, without a doubt, but he was dressed very differently.**

"I always do," Poseidon chuckled with amusement. "Both my brothers have always preferred the formal look; I'll take my casual any day."

**He reminded me of a beachcomber from Key West. He wore leather sandals, khaki Bermuda shorts, and a Tommy Bahama shirt with coconuts and parrots all over it. His skin was deeply tanned, his hands scarred like an old-time fisherman's. His hair was black, like mine. His face had that same brooding look that had always gotten me branded a rebel.**

Aphrodite smiled, a smug hint to it.

**But his eyes, sea green like mine, were surrounded by sun-crinkles that told me he smiled a lot, too.**

And true to form, Poseidon was smiling now.

**His throne was a deep-sea fisherman's chair. It was the simple swivelling kind, with a black leather seat and a built-in holster for a fishing pole. Instead of a pole, the holster held a bronze trident, flickering with green light around the tips.**

Annabeth's eyes were far away; her mind on the day that Percy had once sat on this throne...

**The gods weren't moving or speaking, but there was tension in the air, as if they'd just finished an argument.**

"Wouldn't be surprised," Hades snorted.

**I approached the fisherman's throne and knelt at his feet. "Father." **

**I dared not look up. My heart was racing. I could feel the energy emanating from the two gods. If I said the wrong thing, I had no doubt they could blast me into dust.**

Poseidon frowned and Zeus snorted.

**To my left, Zeus spoke. "Should you not address the master of this house first, boy?"**

"Well... it could be argued that he ought to bend to his father first," Athena murmured. "Though, really, it could go either way."

**I kept my head down, and waited.**

**"Peace, brother," Poseidon finally said. His voice stirred my oldest memories: that warm glow I remembered as a baby, the sensation of this god's hand on my forehead, "The boy defers to his father. This is only right."**

Poseidon nodded.

**"You still claim him then?" Zeus asked, menacingly. "You claim this child whom you sired against our sacred oath?"**

**"I have admitted my wrongdoing,"**

The demigods winced and looked away; all knew that there was no way Percy would take that in anything but a negative context.

**Poseidon said. "Now I would hear him speak."**

**Wrongdoing.**

**A lump welled up in my throat. Was that all I was? A wrongdoing? The result of a god's mistake?**

Poseidon's brow furrowed. He knew enough about himself to know that this wasn't what he had meant. He had meant that the wrongdoing was to sire a child despite the oath not to; it had nothing to do with whether Percy was wrong, but rather, if his oath was wrong. It was a question of his honour, not of Percy's existence.

**"I have spared him once already," Zeus grumbled. "Daring to fly through my domain ... pah! I should have blasted him out of the sky for his impudence."**

**"And risk destroying your own master bolt?" Poseidon asked calmly.**

Zeus scowled.

**"Let us hear him out, brother."**

**Zeus grumbled some more. "I shall listen," he decided. "Then I shall make up my mind whether or not to cast this boy down from Olympus."**

Hephaestus' expression went blank.

**"Perseus," Poseidon said. "Look at me."**

**I did, and I wasn't sure what I saw in his face. There was no clear sign of love or approval. Nothing to encourage me. It was like looking at the ocean: some days, you could tell what mood it was in. Most days, though, it was unreadable, mysterious.**

"Percy looks like that too, sometimes," Annabeth admitted, her eyes far away. "I remember..."

Thalia squeezed her shoulder.

**I got the feeling Poseidon really didn't know what to think of me. He didn't know whether he was happy to have me as a son or not.**

Poseidon frowned at that. Of course he was happy to have Percy as a son; but it was true that he didn't know what to think of him. It was one thing to go on such a quest, it was another to understand the motive. After all, for all Poseidon knew, Percy was only doing this to protect himself. Now that he knew, however...

**In a strange way, I was glad that Poseidon was so distant. If he'd tried to apologize, or told me he loved me, or even smiled, it would've felt fake. Like a human dad, making some lame excuse for not being around. I could live with that. After all, I wasn't sure about him yet, either.**

"Fair," Poseidon remarked slowly. "Painful, but fair."

**"Address Lord Zeus, boy," Poseidon told me. "Tell him your story."**

**So I told Zeus everything, just as it had happened. I took out the metal cylinder, which began sparking in the Sky God's presence, and laid it at his feet.**

**There was a long silence, broken only by the crackle of the hearth fire.**

Hestia blinked lethargically.

**Zeus opened his palm. The lightning bolt flew into it. As he closed his fist, the metallic points flared with electricity, until he was holding what looked more like the classic thunderbolt, a twenty-foot javelin of arcing, hissing energy that made the hairs on my scalp rise.**

Zeus smirked.

**"I sense the boy tells the truth," Zeus muttered. "But that Ares would do such a thing ... it is most unlike him."**

**"He is proud and impulsive," Poseidon said. "It runs in the family."**

A number of people chuckled at that.

**"Lord?" I asked.**

**They both said, "Yes?"**

Apollo snorted loudly, a grin on his mouth.

**"Ares didn't act alone. Someone else—something else— came up with the idea."**

**I described my dreams, and the feeling I'd had on the beach, that momentary breath of evil that had seemed to stop the world, and made Ares back off from killing me.**

**"In the dreams," I said, "the voice told me to bring the bolt to the Underworld. Ares hinted that he'd been having dreams, too. I think he was being used, just as I was, to start a war."**

**"You are accusing Hades, after all?" Zeus asked.**

Hades scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Of _course_ he jumps to me," he grumbled, "bloody little brat of a brother."

**"No," I said. "I mean, Lord Zeus, I've been in the presence of Hades. This feeling on the beach was different. It was the same thing I felt when I got close to that pit. That was the entrance to Tartarus, wasn't it? Something powerful and evil is stirring down there ... something even older than the gods."**

A grim feeling rose from the Olympians. Jason, Leo, and Piper exchanged confused glances.

**Poseidon and Zeus looked at each other. They had a quick, intense discussion in Ancient Greek. I only caught one word. _Father._**

The six children of Kronos exchanged dark looks.

**Poseidon made some kind of suggestion, but Zeus cut him off. Poseidon tried to argue. Zeus held up his hand angrily. "We will speak of this no more," Zeus said. "I must go personally to purify this thunderbolt in the waters of Lemnos, to remove the human taint from its metal."**

**He rose and looked at me. His expression softened just a fraction of a degree. "You have done me a service, boy. Few heroes could have accomplished as much."**

"High praise, husband," Hera murmured approvingly.

"It is deserved," Zeus replied flatly. "The boy was falsely accused, and still fought to bring the bolt to me. I may not approve of him, but I can admit that he is a strong fighter."

**"I had help, sir," I said. "Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase—"**

Annabeth smiled and Athena looked surprised.

**"To show you my thanks, I shall spare your life. I do not trust you, Perseus Jackson. I do not like what your arrival means for the future of Olympus. But for the sake of peace in the family, I shall let you live."**

"Read: Poseidon would throw a fit if Zeus were to kill you," Hermes translated, cocking a brow wryly.

**"Um... thank you, sir."**

**"Do not presume to fly again. Do not let me find you here when I return. Otherwise you shall taste this bolt. And it shall be your last sensation."**

**Thunder shook the palace. With a blinding flash of lightning, Zeus was gone.**

**I was alone in the throne room with my father. "Your uncle," Poseidon sighed, "has always had a flair for dramatic exits. I think he would've done well as the god of theatre."**

The gods choked on their laughter; even Hera was having a difficult time stifling her chuckles. Zeus, however, did not find this amusing as he shot glares at anyone and everyone.

**An uncomfortable silence.**

**"Sir," I said, "what was in that pit?"**

**Poseidon regarded me. "Have you not guessed?"**

**"Kronos," I said. "The king of the Titans."**

**Even in the throne room of Olympus, far away from Tartarus, the name _Kronos_ darkened the room, made the hearth fire seem not quite so warm on my back.**

Such as it was in the room the Olympians and demigods now sat.

**Poseidon gripped his trident. "In the First War, Percy, Zeus cut our father Kronos into a thousand pieces, just as Kronos had done to his own father, Ouranos. Zeus cast Kronos' remains into the darkest pit of Tartarus. The Titan army was scattered, their mountain fortress on Etna destroyed, their monstrous allies driven to the farthest corners of the earth. And yet Titans cannot die, anymore than we gods can. Whatever is left of Kronos is still alive in some hideous way, still conscious in his eternal pain, still hungering for power."**

**"He's healing," I said. "He's coming back."**

"And a dark day for all, should that come to pass," Athena said grimly.

**Poseidon shook his head. "From time to time, over the eons, Kronos has stirred. He enters men's nightmares and breathes evil thoughts. He wakens restless monsters from the depths. But to suggest he could rise from the pit is another thing."**

**"That's what he intends, Father. That's what he said."**

**Poseidon was silent for a long time. "Lord Zeus has closed discussion on this matter. He will not allow talk of Kronos.**

Zeus grimaced, steepling his fingers in thought.

**You have completed your quest, child. That is all you need to do."**

**"But—" I stopped myself. Arguing would do no good. It would very possibly anger the only god who I had on my side.**

"Perhaps the strongest one, but not the only," Apollo remarked, an amused look on his face.

**"As ... as you wish, Father."**

**A faint smile played on his lips. "Obedience does not come naturally to you, does it?"**

Annabeth and Thalia snorted.

**"No ... sir."**

**"I must take some blame for that, I suppose. The sea does not like to be restrained."**

Poseidon just chuckled.

**He rose to his full height and took up his trident. Then he shimmered and became the size of a regular man, standing directly in front of me. "You must go, child. But first, know that your mother has returned."**

Hera's eyes widened as she shot Hades an incredulous look. The god of death merely sneered at her.

**I stared at him, completely stunned. "My mother?"**

**"You will find her at home. Hades sent her when you recovered his helm. Even the Lord of Death pays his debts."**

"Always the tone of surprise," Hades drawled, his eyes rolling.

**My heart was pounding. I couldn't believe it. "Do you ... would you ..."**

**I wanted to ask if Poseidon would come with me to see her, but then I realized that was ridiculous. I imagined loading the God of the Sea into a taxi and taking him to the Upper East Side. If he'd wanted to see my mom all these years, he would have.**

Poseidon's sea-green gaze turned sad as he looked out the window, the dark clouds just barely beginning to clear.

**And there was Smelly Gabe to think about.**

**Poseidon's eyes took on a little sadness. "When you return home, Percy, you must make an important choice. You will find a package waiting in your room."**

**"A package?"**

**"You will understand when you see it. No one can choose your path, Percy. You must decide."**

"How does that work when fate's involved?" Piper muttered.

"You choose the path, but all roads lead to Rome," Jason replied.

"One way to put it," Annabeth remarked with a sigh.

**I nodded, though I didn't know what he meant.**

**"Your mother is a queen among women," Poseidon said wistfully. "I had not met such a mortal woman in a thousand years.**

Aphrodite cooed.

**Still ... I am sorry you were born, child. I have brought you a hero's fate, and a hero's fate is never happy. It is never anything but tragic."**

"What about Perseus?" Leo pointed out. "Like, the ancient Greek hero? Percy was given his name in a hope for good luck, wasn't he?"

**I tried not to feel hurt. Here was my own dad, telling me he was sorry I'd been born.**

Poseidon sighed. He had not meant it like that.

**"I don't mind, Father."**

**"Not yet, perhaps," he said. "Not yet. But it was an unforgivable mistake on my part."**

**"I'll leave you then." I bowed awkwardly. "I—I won't bother you again."**

"You ought to stop him, Poseidon," Aphrodite sniffed, "I think this Perseus will become a new favourite of mine; and I don't want you hurting him."

"Says the one who wants to play with his heart," Artemis snorted.

Aphrodite gave her a dismissive look. "Love will brighten his world and bring him the greatest joy. Both the things that are the brightest in life are the ones worth fighting the hardest for."

**I was five steps away when he called, "Perseus."**

**I turned.**

**There was a different light in his eyes, a fiery kind of pride. "You did well, Perseus. Do not misunderstand me. Whatever else you do, know that you are mine. You are a true son of the Sea God."**

Aphrodite nodded firmly; as Poseidon merely smiled mysteriously, the same fiery look now echoed in his eyes.

**As I walked back through the city of the gods, conversations stopped. The muses paused their concert. People and satyrs and naiads all turned toward me, their faces filled with respect and gratitude, and as I passed, they knelt, as if I were some kind of hero.**

"You _are_ a hero, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth rolled her eyes, smiling fondly.

**Fifteen minutes later, still in a trance, I was back on the streets of Manhattan.**

**I caught a taxi to my mom's apartment, rang the door bell, and there she was—my beautiful mother, smelling of peppermint and licorice, the weariness and worry evaporating from her face as soon as she saw me.**

Hera beamed.

**"Percy! Oh, thank goodness. Oh, my baby."**

**She crushed the air right out of me. We stood in the hallway as she cried and ran her hands through my hair.**

**I'll admit it—my eyes were a little misty, too.**

**I was shaking, I was so relieved to see her.**

"I do approve of this boy," Hera said. "Though his circumstances are... unfortunate."

**She told me she'd just appeared at the apartment that morning, scaring Gabe half out of his wits.**

"Good!"

**She didn't remember anything since the Minotaur, and couldn't believe it when Gabe told her I was a wanted criminal, travelling across the country, blowing up national monuments. She'd been going out of her mind with worry all day because she hadn't heard the news. Gabe had forced her to go into work, saying she had a month's salary to make up and she'd better get started.**

Artemis spluttered indignantly, and Poseidon's eyes darkened.

"That's it," Artemis growled, "I'm going to find this man."

"You cannot kill him," Apollo told her, though it sounded as if he were forcing the words out, "it would mess with fate and, potentially, put Percy in a bad spot."

"I'm not going to kill him," Artemis' eyes glinted dangerously, "I'm just going to have a chat."

"I'm coming with you," Poseidon said, the look in his eyes was daring his brothers to disagree.

Zeus scowled. "Fine."

"Good," the sea god looked pleased.

"I'm coming with you as well, Artemis," Hera said primly. "I _am_ the goddess of marriage after all."

Artemis was obviously displeased with this, but she nodded nonetheless.

**I swallowed back my anger and told her my own story. I tried to make it sound less scary than it had been, but that wasn't easy. I was just getting to the fight with Ares when Gabe's voice interrupted from the living room. "Hey, Sally! That meat loaf done yet or what?"**

**She closed her eyes. "He isn't going to be happy to see you, Percy. The store got half a million phone calls today from Los Angeles ... something about free appliances."**

The room chuckled.

**"Oh, yeah. About that..."**

**She managed a weak smile. "Just don't make him angrier, all right? Come on."**

**In the month I'd been gone, the apartment had turned into Gabeland. Garbage was ankle deep on the carpet. The sofa had been reupholstered in beer cans. Dirty socks and underwear hung off the lampshades.**

"Eww..." Aphrodite looked utterly grossed out.

**Gabe and three of his big goony friends were playing poker at the table.**

**When Gabe saw me, his cigar dropped out of his mouth. His face got redder than lava. "You got nerve coming here, you little punk. I thought the police—"**

Poseidon seethed.

**"He's not a fugitive after all," my mom interjected. "Isn't that wonderful, Gabe?"**

"I don't think that it's going to work this time," Hestia sighed quietly.

**Gabe looked back and forth between us. He didn't seem to think my homecoming was so wonderful.**

**"Bad enough I had to give back your life insurance money, Sally,"**

"That's it, I'm going too," Aphrodite huffed, nodding at Hera and Artemis. "Cannot _stand_ such men..."

**he growled. "Get me the phone. I'll call the cops."**

**"Gabe, no!"**

**He raised his eyebrows. "Did you just say _'no'? _You think I'm gonna put up with this punk again? I can still press charges against him for ruining my Camaro."**

"He wasn't even _driving_, dipshit!" Leo scowled.

**"But—"**

**He raised his hand, and my mother flinched.**

**For the first time, I realized something. Gabe had hit my mother.**

Poseidon went terrifyingly still, his sea-green eyes almost pulsing his rage. "Demeter," he rumbled, "_read_."

**I didn't know when, or how much. But I was sure he'd done it. Maybe _it _had been going on for years, when I wasn't around.**

**A balloon of anger started expanding in my chest. I came toward Gabe, instinctively taking my pen out of my pocket.**

"Oh, if only," Dionysus remarked darkly.

**He just laughed. "What, punk? You gonna write on me? You touch me, and you are going to jail forever, you understand?"**

**"Hey, Gabe," his friend Eddie interrupted. "He's just a kid."**

**Gabe looked at him resentfully and mimicked in a falsetto voice: _"Just a kid."_**

**His other friends laughed like idiots.**

No one looked amused; in fact, most everyone looked furious.

**"I'll be nice to you, punk." Gabe showed me his tobacco-stained teeth. "I'll give you five minutes to get your stuff and clear out. After that, I call the police."**

**"Gabe!" my mother pleaded.**

**"He ran away," Gabe told her. "Let him stay gone."**

**I was itching to uncap Riptide, but even if I did, the blade wouldn't hurt humans. And Gabe, by the loosest definition, was human.**

"Unfortunately," Hades said grimly.

**My mother took my arm. "Please, Percy. Come on. We'll go to your room."**

**I let her pull me away, my hands still trembling with rage.**

**My room had been completely filled with Gabe's junk. There were stacks of used car batteries, a rotting bouquet of sympathy flowers with a card from somebody who'd seen his Barbara Walters interview.**

**"Gabe is just upset, honey," my mother told me. "I'll talk to him later. I'm sure it will work out."**

**"Mom, it'll never work out. Not as long as Gabe's here."**

"But that means..." Piper's eyes grew sad, "oh..."

"What?" Leo looked confused.

"He can't live with Gabe; he won't allow his mother to live with Gabe," Thalia said quietly, "thus, he'll lose the one piece of protection he has. Which means..."

"Which means he can't live with his mother..." Jason sighed. "Damn."

**She wrung her hands nervously. "I can ... I'll take you to work with me for the rest of the summer. In the fall, maybe there's another boarding school—"**

**"Mom."**

**She lowered her eyes. "I'm trying, Percy. I just... I need some time."**

The room was quiet.

**A package appeared on my bed. At least, I could've sworn it hadn't been there a moment before.**

**It was a battered cardboard box about the right size to fit a basketball. The address on the mailing slip was in my own handwriting:**

_**The Gods**_

_**Mount Olympus**_

_**600th Floor,**_

_**Empire State Building**_

_**New York, NY**_

_**With best wishes,**_

_**PERCY JACKSON**_

**Over the top in black marker, in a man's clear, bold print, was the address of our apartment, and the words: RETURN TO SENDER.**

"Well, hot damn," Apollo whistled. "That might actually work..."

**Suddenly I understood what Poseidon had told me on Olympus.**

**A package. A decision.**

_**Whatever else you do, know that you are mine. You are a true son of the Sea God.**_

**I looked at my mother. "Mom, do you want Gabe gone?"**

**"Percy, it isn't that simple. I—"**

**"Mom, just tell me. That jerk has been hitting you. Do you want him gone or not?"**

"In this case," Artemis said, running her hand across her bow, "it _is_ that simple."

**She hesitated, then nodded almost imperceptibly. "Yes, Percy. I do. And I'm trying to get up my courage to tell him. But you can't do this for me. You can't solve my problems."**

Poseidon smiled faintly.

**I looked at the box.**

**I _could _solve her problem. I wanted to slice that package open, plop it on the poker table, and take out what was inside. I could start my very own statue garden, right there in the living room.**

**That's what a Greek hero would do in the stories, I thought. That's what Gabe deserves.**

"Yes, on both accounts," Athena said, though she didn't sound impressed. It was almost as if she had come to expect _better_ from Percy.

**But a hero's story always ended in tragedy. Poseidon had told me that.**

The gods looked grim.

**I remembered the Underworld. I thought about Gabe's spirit drifting forever in the Fields of Asphodel, or condemned to some hideous torture behind the barbed wire of the Fields of Punishment—an eternal poker game, sitting up to his waist in boiling oil listening to opera music. Did I have the right to send someone there? Even Gabe?**

**A month ago, I wouldn't have hesitated. Now ...**

Athena's expression cleared, she nodded with approval. "No human has the right to judge another, especially not when they are biased." She said calmly.

"But in this case, Percy's a demigod. So it's not exactly the same." Hermes said, smirking somewhat.

Athena shot him a dry look.

**"I can do it," I told my mom. "One look inside this box, and he'll never bother you again."**

**She glanced at the package, and seemed to understand immediately. "No, Percy," she said, stepping away. "You can't."**

**"Poseidon called you a queen," I told her. "He said he hadn't met a woman like you in a thousand years."**

**Her cheeks flushed. "Percy—"**

Aphrodite smiled magnificently.

**"You deserve better than this, Mom. You should go to college, get your degree. You can write your novel, meet a nice guy maybe, live in a nice house. You don't need to protect me anymore by staying with Gabe. Let me get rid of him."**

**She wiped a tear off her cheek. "You sound so much like your father," she said. "He offered to stop the tide for me once. He offered to build me a palace at the bottom of the sea. He thought he could solve all my problems with a wave of his hand."**

Poseidon's expression turned mysterious once again, his eyes turning back out the window.

**"What's wrong with that?"**

**Her multicoloured eyes seemed to search inside me. "I think you know, Percy. I think you're enough like me to understand. If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself. I can't let a god take care of me ... or my son. I have to ... find the courage on my own.**

"One very impressive woman," Hera approved, nodding slightly.

"Indeed," Athena murmured.

**Your quest has reminded me of that."**

**We listened to the sound of poker chips and swearing, ESPN from the living room television.**

**"I'll leave the box," I said. "If he threatens you …"**

**She looked pale, but she nodded. "Where will you go, Percy?"**

"Where else?" Dionysus muttered.

**"Half-Blood Hill."**

**"For the summer ... or forever?"**

**"I guess that depends."**

**We locked eyes, and I sensed that we had an agreement. We would see how things stood at the end of the summer.**

"Is it bad that I want him to stay with his mom?" Leo murmured, his eyes distant.

"Why would that be bad?" Piper asked, giving him a strange look.

"Heh," Leo smiled, "good point."

**She kissed my forehead. "You'll be a hero, Percy. You'll be the greatest of all."**

"The greatest of our time," Thalia murmured.

**I took one last look around my bedroom. I had a feeling I'd never see it again. Then I walked with my mother to the front door.**

**"Leaving so soon, punk?" Gabe called after me. "Good riddance."**

**I had one last twinge of doubt. How could I turn down the perfect chance to take revenge on him? I was leaving here without saving my mother.**

**"Hey, Sally," he yelled. "What about that meat loaf, huh?"**

**A steely look of anger flared in my mother's eyes, and I thought, just maybe, I was leaving her in good hands after all. Her own.**

All of the woman in the room looked pleased at that.

**"The meat loaf is coming right up, dear," she told Gabe. "Meat loaf surprise."**

**She looked at me, and winked.**

**The last thing I saw as the door swung closed was my mother staring at Gabe, as if she were contemplating how he would look as a garden statue.**

"Chapter's over," Demeter stated, "one more to go before the book is done."

"I shall read," Hades said, taking the book. "Chapter twenty-two: The Prophecy Comes True."

* * *

It's four o'clock in the morning... what the fuck am I doing?

Oh yeah, posting chapters. Duh.

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	25. End of The Lightning Thief

**The Prophecy Comes True**

"It already did... didn't it?" Leo looked confused, his brow furrowing.

"Not entirely," Annabeth sighed, "not yet."

**We were the first heroes to return alive to Half-Blood Hill since Luke,**

Hermes frowned.

**so of course everybody treated us as if we'd won some reality-TV contest.**

**According to camp tradition, we wore laurel wreaths to a big feast prepared in our honour, then led a procession down to the bonfire, where we got to burn the burial shrouds our cabins had made for us in our absence.**

"Percy doesn't have cabin mates, though," Piper pointed out.

"Then someone other cabin would've taken it up," Thalia told her with a half-shrug.

**Annabeth's shroud was so beautiful—grey silk with embroidered owls—I told her it seemed a shame not to bury her in it.**

Athena's eyebrows raised.

**She punched me and told me to shut up.**

The room chuckled.

**Being the son of Poseidon, I didn't have any cabin mates,**

Piper's head tilted.

**so the Ares cabin**

Poseidon cocked a brow.

**had volunteered to make my shroud. They'd taken an old bed sheet and painted smiley faces with X'ed-out eyes around the border, and the word LOSER painted really big in the middle.**

Apollo chortled.

**It was fun to burn.**

"I bet," Hermes chuckled.

**As Apollo's cabin led the sing-along and passed out s'mores, I was surrounded by my old Hermes cabin mates,**

Hermes gave a lopsided grin.

**Annabeth's friends from Athena,**

Athena smiled faintly.

**and Grover's satyr buddies, who were admiring the brand-new searcher's license he'd received from the Council of Cloven Elders.**

Dionysus smirked.

**The council had called Grover's performance on the quest "Brave to the point of indigestion. Horns-and-whiskers above anything we have seen in the past."**

Zeus rolled his eyes; but a number of people looked amused, and agreed.

**The only ones not in a party mood were Clarisse and her cabin mates, whose poisonous looks told me they'd never forgive me for disgracing their dad.**

"No, probably not," Apollo snorted.

"Easiest way to piss off a camper: go after the parent," Thalia remarked dryly.

"And nothing unites a cabin faster," Annabeth chuckled, shaking her head.

**That was okay with me.**

**Even Dionysus's welcome-home speech wasn't enough to dampen my spirits. "Yes, yes, so the little brat didn't get himself killed and now he'll have an even bigger head. Well, huzzah for that.**

Poseidon looked unamused and unimpressed, but he didn't say anything.

**In other announcements, there will be _no _canoe races this Saturday..."**

**I moved back into cabin three, but it didn't feel so lonely anymore. I had my friends to train with during the day.**

"Save the world from a world war; yep, that sounds about the right way to make friends," Leo snickered.

**At night, I lay awake and listened to the sea, knowing my father was out there. Maybe he wasn't quite sure about me yet, maybe he hadn't even wanted me born, but he was watching. And so far, he was proud of what I'd done.**

Poseidon smiled faintly.

**As for my mother, she had a chance at a new life. Her letter arrived a week after I got back to camp. She told me Gabe had left mysteriously—disappeared off the face of the planet, in fact.**

There wasn't a person in the room that didn't look pleased at this.

**She'd reported him missing to the police, but she had a funny feeling they would never find him.**

**On a completely unrelated subject, she'd sold her first life-size concrete sculpture, entitled _The Poker Player, _to a collector, through an art gallery in Soho.**

"Oh yeah, totally unrelated," Apollo grinned broadly.

**She'd gotten so much money for it, she'd put a deposit down on a new apartment and made a payment on her first semester's tuition at NYU.**

"Good," Artemis nodded firmly.

**The Soho gallery was clamouring for more of her work, which they called "a huge step forward in super-ugly**

"Incredibly ugly," Leo agreed.

**neorealism."**

**_But don't worry, _my mom wrote. _I'm done with sculpture. I've disposed of that box of tools you left me. It's time for me to turn to writing._**

"I wonder how, exactly, she disposed of it," Jason mused.

"Chucked it into the sea?" Leo suggested. "Who knows."

**At the bottom, she wrote a P.S.: _Percy, I've found a good private school here in the city. I've put a deposit down to hold you a spot, in case you want to enrol for seventh grade._**

"Isn't that the one where...?"

Annabeth nodded and Thalia snorted. Poseidon raised a brow.

_**You could live at home. But if you want to go year-round at Half-Blood Hill, I'll understand.**_

**I folded the note carefully and set it on my bedside table. Every night before I went to sleep, I read it again, and I tried to decide how to answer her.**

"Seems like it's quite the conundrum," Dionysus remarked dryly.

"Well, he can either live a life that is safe but away from his mother," Hera said, "or he could be in danger but stay with his mother."

"Perseus seems like a very loyal person," Athena added, "I do believe he'll stay with his mother."

"Woah, spoiler alert," Apollo grumbled good-naturedly.

**On the Fourth of July, the whole camp gathered at the beach for a fireworks display by cabin nine. Being Hephaestus's kids,**

Leo grinned broadly, bouncing in his seat.

**they weren't going to settle for a few lame red-white-and-blue explosions. They'd anchored a barge offshore and loaded it with rockets the size of Patriot missiles.**

"Oh, booyeah!" Leo cheered. Hephaestus smirked.

**According to Annabeth, who'd seen the show before, the blasts would be sequenced so tightly they'd look like frames of animation across the sky. The finale was supposed to be a couple of hundred-foot-tall Spartan warriors who would crackle to life above the ocean, fight a battle, then explode into a million colours.**

"Sparta, best place ever," Ares said, startling a few people as he slammed the doors open and strode in.

"Oh," Hephaestus grunted, looking unamused, "you're back are you?"

"Fuck off," Ares scoffed, resettling into his spot next to Aphrodite. "The kid's a pain in the ass but he's... good." He winced, and Aphrodite knew that it was like pulling teeth for him to admit this. "Now, are we going to read the bloody book or not?"

**As Annabeth and I were spreading a picnic blanket,**

At that, Aphrodite's head snapped about and she grinned. Annabeth, upon catching this, flushed slightly and grumbled about overeager goddesses.

**Grover showed up to tell us goodbye.**

"So... he does leave?" Piper asked, her voice soft. "Even though no one's ever come back...?"

"What type of friends would we be if we tried to stop him from his life's ambition?" Annabeth asked, her grey eyes shimmering. "Besides... Grover's a tough one."

**He was dressed in his usual jeans and T-shirt and sneakers, but in the last few weeks he'd started to look older, almost high-school age. His goatee had gotten thicker. He'd put on weight. His horns had grown at least an inch, so he now had to wear his rasta cap all the time to pass as human.**

"He's grown up," Thalia said quietly. "In more ways than one."

**"I'm off," he said. "I just came to say ... well, you know."**

**I tried to feel happy for him. After all, it wasn't every day a satyr got permission to go look for the great god Pan. But it was hard saying good-bye. I'd only known Grover a year, yet he was my oldest friend.**

"For a demigod, that's hardly out of the ordinary," Leo said, shaking his head.

**Annabeth gave him a hug. She told him to keep his fake feet on.**

**I asked him where he was going to search first.**

**"Kind of a secret," he said, looking embarrassed. "I wish you could come with me, guys, but humans and Pan …"**

"That doesn't sound right," Jason frowned. "Why would a god who is so focused on protecting the natural world want to cut out a major part of it? Just because a large portion is against? What about all of those _for_ the environment? You can't generalize the whole by the actions of a few."

"The Council of the Cloven Elders like to believe that they are far more dignified than humans," Dionysus remarked, "of course, most immortals do."

"But they're all foolish, because we're gods and we know better, right?" Apollo asked innocently.

"I never said that."

"You implied it."

"...brat."

Apollo sniggered.

**"We understand," Annabeth said. "You got enough tin cans for the trip?"**

**"Yeah."**

**"And you remembered your reed pipes?"**

**"Jeez, Annabeth," he grumbled. "You're like an old mama goat."**

The room chuckled, and Annabeth merely smiled.

**But he didn't really sound annoyed.**

**He gripped his walking stick and slung a backpack over his shoulder. He looked like any hitchhiker you might see on an American highway—nothing like the little runty boy I used to defend from bullies at Yancy Academy.**

Apollo sniggered. "I just don't think that this satyr was meant for protection detail; he sounds like a better searcher."

**"Well," he said, "wish me luck."**

**He gave Annabeth another hug. He clapped me on the shoulder, then headed back through the dunes. Fireworks exploded to life overhead: Hercules killing the Nemean lion,**

Zeus looked faintly proud.

**Artemis chasing the boar,**

Said goddess looked amused.

**George Washington (who, by the way, was a son of Athena) crossing the Delaware.**

Athena smiled.

**"Hey, Grover," I called.**

**He turned at the edge of the woods.**

**"Wherever you're going—I hope they make good enchiladas."**

**Grover grinned, and then he was gone, the trees closing around him.**

**"We'll see him again," Annabeth said.**

**I tried to believe it. The fact that no searcher had ever come back in two thousand years ... well, I decided not to think about that. Grover would be the first. He had to be.**

"He's Grover, he will be," Thalia said simply.

**July passed.**

**I spent my days devising new strategies for capture-the-flag and making alliances with the other cabins to keep the banner out of Ares' hands. **

The other gods chuckled and Ares just shook his head, smirking faintly.

**I got to the top of the climbing wall for the first time without getting scorched by lava.**

"Easy," Leo sniggered.

"Says the one who doesn't get scorched _period_," Jason snorted.

**From time to time, I'd walk past the Big House, glance up at the attic windows, and think about the Oracle. I tried to convince myself that its prophecy had come to completion.**

_**You shall go west, and face the god who has turned.**_

**Been there, done that—even though the traitor god had turned out to be Ares rather than Hades.**

Ares rolled his eyes as his father scowled and Hades scoffed.

_**You shall find what was stolen, and see it safe returned.**_

**Check. One master bolt delivered. One helm of darkness back on Hades' oily head.**

Demeter cackled as Hades glowered.

_**You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.**_

Hesitation seeped into the room; the reminder of this line made everyone pause. Thalia and Annabeth looked both sad and angry.

**Again the mood got surly at this. **

**This line still bothered me. Ares had pretended to be my friend, then betrayed me. That must be what the Oracle meant...**

"Doesn't sound quite right," Athena hummed. "He pretended to be an ally, not a friend."

_**And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end.**_

**I _had _failed to save my mom, but only because I'd let her save herself, and I knew that was the right thing.**

"That, at least, is something," Athena murmured, referring to the prophecy.

**So why was I still uneasy?**

**The last night of the summer session came all too quickly. The campers had one last meal together. We burned part of our dinner for the gods. At the bonfire, the senior counsellors awarded the end-of-summer beads.**

Annabeth grinned and shook her head.

**I got my own leather necklace, and when I saw the bead for my first summer, I was glad the firelight covered my blushing. The design was pitch black, with a sea-green trident shimmering in the centre.**

Poseidon chuckled.

**"The choice was unanimous," Luke announced. "This bead commemorates the first Son of the Sea God at this camp, and the quest he undertook into the darkest part of the Underworld to stop a war!"**

Poseidon's chuckles faded but his smile remained.

**The entire camp got to their feet and cheered. Even Ares' cabin felt obliged to stand. Athena's cabin steered Annabeth to the front so she could share in the applause.**

"Look at that, Athena," Poseidon remarked dryly. "They do care."

"Obviously, they have no taste," Athena deadpanned.

"Well, they are your children."

Athena rolled her eyes, letting out only the barest huff of laughter. Poseidon just smirked and shook his head.

**I'm not sure I'd ever felt as happy or sad as I did at that moment. I'd finally found a family, people who cared about me and thought I'd done something right. And in the morning, most of them would be leaving for the year.**

"That's so sweet," Dionysus said sarcastically, "someone pass me toothpaste before I begin to get cavities."

**The next morning, I found a form letter on my bedside table.**

**I knew Dionysus must've filled it out, because he stubbornly insisted on getting my name wrong:**

**_Dear __Peter Johnson_ _,_**

The room had various expressions of disbelief. Dionysus didn't seem to notice as he was busy popping the tab on his latest can of diet coke.

_**If you intend to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, you must inform the Big House by noon today. If you do not announce your intentions, we will assume you have vacated your cabin or died a horrible death.**_

A faint chuckle echoed through the room.

_**Cleaning harpies will begin work at sundown. They will be authorized to eat any unregistered campers. All personal articles left behind will be incinerated in the lava pit.**_

_**Have a nice day!**_

_**Mr. D (Dionysus)**_

_**Camp Director, Olympian Council #12**_

**That's another thing about ADHD. Deadlines just aren't real to me until I'm staring one in the face.**

"Amen to that," Leo snorted.

**Summer was over, and I still hadn't answered my mother, or the camp, about whether I'd be staying. Now I had only a few hours to decide.**

Athena shook her head. She never had much care for a procrastinator.

**The decision should have been easy. I mean, nine months of hero training or nine months of sitting in a classroom—duh.**

"Duh, indeed," Jason remarked, "but there's more to this than that. And the reason why he's having so much trouble is because this involves more people than just him."

"Well damn, Jase," Leo said with mock-thoughtfulness, "that was bloody profound."

Jason rolled his eyes and grinned. "Shut up, Leo."

**But there was my mom to consider.**

Jason nodded, his point proven. Hera looked approving.

**For the first time, I had the chance to live with her for a whole year, without Gabe. I had a chance be at home and knock around the city in my free time. I remembered what Annabeth had said so long ago on our quest: _The real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn whether you're any good or not._**

**I thought about the fate of Thalia, daughter of Zeus. I wondered how many monsters would attack me if I left Half-Blood Hill.**

"More than he'd care to admit," Annabeth muttered under her breath.

"Hey, he does alright on his own," Thalia pointed out bracingly. "Even if he does act like he's got water-for-brains; Percy's quick on his feet."

Annabeth nodded slowly, her eyes far away and sad.

**If I stayed in one place for a whole school year, without Chiron or my friends around to help me, would my mother and I even survive until the next summer?**

"After all that he's done, he still doesn't think he can protect himself?" Ares' brows raised. "The hell is wrong with this punk?"

**That was assuming the spelling tests and five-paragraph essays didn't kill me.**

"Amen," Leo snorted.

**I decided I'd go down to the arena and do some sword practice. Maybe that would clear my head.**

**The campgrounds were mostly deserted, shimmering in the August heat. All the campers were in their cabins packing up, or running around with brooms and mops, getting ready for final inspection. Argus was helping some of the Aphrodite kids haul their Gucci suitcases and makeup kits over the hill,**

Aphrodite smiled.

**where the camp's shuttle bus would be waiting to take them to the airport.**

**Don't think about leaving yet, I told myself. Just train.**

**I got to the sword-fighters arena and found that Luke had had the same idea.**

Annabeth stiffened and Athena's eyes narrowed.

**His gym bag was plopped at the edge of the stage. He was working solo, whaling on battle dummies with a sword I'd never seen before. It must've been a regular steel blade, because he was slashing the dummies' heads right off, stabbing through their straw-stuffed guts. His orange counsellor's shirt was dripping with sweat. His expression was so intense, his life might've really been in danger.**

"The kid's angry," Ares grunted. "Wonder what at."

"Or who," Thalia muttered, her expression dangerous.

**I watched, fascinated, as he disemboweled the whole row of dummies, hacking off limbs and basically reducing them to a pile of straw. They were only dummies, but I still couldn't help being awed by Luke's skill. The guy was an incredible fighter. It made me wonder, again, how he possibly could've failed at his quest.**

"He didn't," Annabeth sighed. "He deviated."

"How?" Hermes frowned.

Annabeth looked away and didn't respond; Hermes' frown deepened.

**Finally, he saw me, and stopped mid-swing. "Percy."**

**"Um, sorry," I said, embarrassed. "I just—"**

**"It's okay," he said, lowering his sword. "Just doing some last-minute practice."**

**"Those dummies won't be bothering anybody any more."**

Zeus snorted. "Seems your son has inherited your odd sense of humour, Poseidon."

His brother chuckled in reply. "Better than your lack of one."

"Please apply cold water to burnt area," Apollo sniggered, only to yelp when a lightning bolt was tossed at his face.

**Luke shrugged. "We build new ones every summer."**

**Now that his sword wasn't swirling around, I could see something odd about it. The blade was two different types of metal—one edge bronze, the other steel.**

Hephaestus sat up slowly, his eyes narrowing.

**Luke noticed me looking at it. "Oh, this? New toy. This is Backbiter."**

**"Backbiter?"**

Thalia and Annabeth gripped hands, trying to glean some sort of comfort from one another.

**Luke turned the blade in the light so it glinted wickedly. "One side is celestial bronze. The other is tempered steel. Works on mortals and immortals both."**

"He shouldn't have such a weapon," Hephaestus' voice rumbled in his chest.

"But he does," Dionysus looked annoyed.

"But why?" Hermes asked, looking forlorn.

**I thought about what Chiron had told me when I started my quest—that a hero should never harm mortals unless absolutely necessary.**

**"I didn't know they could make weapons like that."**

**_"They _probably can't," Luke agreed. "It's one of a kind."**

"Of course they could," Leo snapped, frowning. "They just know better."

"Leo," Piper nudged him.

"I'm sorry, but this guy just... gets on my nerves," Leo grumbled.

**He gave me a tiny smile, then slid the sword into its scabbard. "Listen, I was going to come looking for you. What do you say we go down to the woods one last time, look for something to fight?"**

**I don't know why I hesitated.**

"Instincts," Artemis remarked.

Hermes found himself tensing.

**I should've felt relieved that Luke was being so friendly. Ever since I'd gotten back from the quest, he'd been acting a little distant. I was afraid he might resent me for all the attention I'd gotten.**

Thalia grit her teeth and looked away.

**"You think it's a good idea?" I asked. "I mean—"**

**"Aw, come on." He rummaged in his gym bag and pulled out a six-pack of Cokes. "Drinks are on me."**

**I stared at the Cokes, wondering where the heck he'd gotten them.**

The demigods chuckled.

**There were no regular mortal sodas at the camp store. No way to smuggle them in unless you talked to a satyr, maybe. Of course, the magic dinner goblets would fill with anything you want, but it just didn't taste the same as a real Coke, straight out of the can.**

"Nothing does," Jason remarked with a faint grin.

**Sugar and caffeine. My willpower crumbled.**

"He feels safe with him," Athena shook her head. "An unfortunate thing given the circumstances."

"So you do suspect him?" Hermes asked quietly.

"I am sorry, Hermes," Athena replied, giving him an empathetic look. "But Percy's instincts have yet to prove wrong. And... it is not looking good for your son. After all, Ares' backpack was not the only gift to lead them into danger."

**"Sure," I decided. "Why not?"**

**We walked down to the woods and kicked around for some kind of monster to fight, but it was too hot. All the monsters with any sense must've been taking siestas in their nice cool caves.**

No one looked too sure of that.

**We found a shady spot by the creek where I'd broken Clarisse's spear during my first capture the flag game.**

"Luke always was big on symbolism," Annabeth murmured, hugging her midsection tightly.

**We sat on a big rock, drank our Cokes, and watched the sunlight in the woods.**

**After a while Luke said, "You miss being on a quest?"**

**"With monsters attacking me every three feet? Are you kidding?"**

**Luke raised an eyebrow.**

**"Yeah, I miss it," I admitted.**

Annabeth scoffed and rolled her eyes skyward, though she was looking vaguely nostalgic.

**"You?"**

**A shadow passed over his face.**

**I was used to hearing from the girls how good-looking Luke was, but at the moment, he looked weary, and angry, and not at all handsome. His blond hair was grey in the sunlight. The scar on his face looked deeper than usual. I could imagine him as an old man.**

The room had gone eerily silent and Hermes leaned forward, his elbows being placed on his knees.

**"I've lived at Half-Blood Hill year-round since I was fourteen," he told me. "Ever since Thalia ... well, you know.**

"Yes," Zeus scowled, "we know."

**I trained, and trained, and trained. I never got to be a normal teenager, out there in the real world.**

The demigods averted their eyes.

**Then they threw me one quest, and when I came back, it was like, 'Okay, ride's over. Have a nice life.'"**

"I can understand why that might upset him," Hestia admitted, "but what did he expect? It's impressive, make no mistake. And I'm certain that there was a celebration in his honour; but there is only so long that he would be the focus of such things."

**He crumpled his Coke can and threw into the creek,**

Poseidon grimaced, ignoring it in favour of the bigger issue.

**which really shocked me. One of the first things you learn at Camp Half-Blood is: Don't litter. You'll hear from the nymphs and the naiads. They'll get even. You'll crawl into bed one night and find your sheets filled with centipedes and mud.**

"Or at the mercy of an incredibly pissed off Son of Poseidon, right?" Apollo glanced at the demigods with a half-grin.

Annabeth gave him a weak grin and nodded in reply.

**"The heck with laurel wreaths," Luke said. "I'm not going to end up like those dusty trophies in the Big House attic."**

**"You make it sound like you're leaving."**

Tension spiked through the room.

**Luke gave me a twisted smile. "Oh, I'm leaving, all right, Percy. I brought you down here to say goodbye."**

**He snapped his fingers. A small fire burned a hole in the ground at my feet. Out crawled something glistening black, about the size of my hand. A scorpion.**

Poseidon sat upright, and the room grew quiet.

**I started to go for my pen.**

**"I wouldn't," Luke cautioned. "Pit scorpions can jump up to fifteen feet. Its stinger can pierce right through your clothes. You'll be dead in sixty seconds."**

Hermes' head dropped into his hands.

**"Luke, what—"**

**Then it hit me.**

_**You will be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.**_

**"You," I said.**

Poseidon wanted to get angry, he wanted to be completely infuriated; but the look on Hermes' face... It made him think of what he would do if it had been Percy to turn, and his anger diminished. All he could think of now was the pain his nephew must be feeling.

**He stood calmly and brushed off his jeans.**

**The scorpion paid him no attention. It kept its beady black eyes on me, clamping its pincers as it crawled onto my shoe.**

Annabeth tugged Percy's sweater around her shoulders.

**"I saw a lot out there in the world, Percy," Luke said. "Didn't you feel it—the darkness gathering, the monsters growing stronger? Didn't you realize how useless it all is? All the heroics—being pawns of the gods. They should've been overthrown thousands of years ago, but they've hung on, thanks to us half-bloods."**

Ares snarled, looking furious; Hermes just looked tired. Some echoed Ares where others seemed to be more towards what Hermes was feeling.

**I couldn't believe this was happening.**

**"Luke ... you're talking about our parents," I said.**

Poseidon's grip on his trident tightened.

**He laughed. "That's supposed to make me love them? Their precious 'Western civilization is a disease, Percy. It's killing the world. The only way to stop it is to burn it to the ground, start over with something more honest."**

"No, it's not," Thalia snapped. "You don't have to love them or even like them, but they're _family_. And even if they are the most fucked up, stupid, stuck-up, pains-in-the-ass that you've ever met, they're still _yours_. And that has to count for something."

Zeus locked eyes with his daughter, a fiercely proud look was present on his face.

**"You're as crazy as Ares."**

**His eyes flared. "Ares is a fool. He never realized the true master he was serving. If I had time, Percy, I could explain. But I'm afraid you won't live that long."**

Poseidon swallowed harshly, his jaw locking.

**The scorpion crawled onto my pants leg.**

**There had to be a way out of this.**

"That's it, Perce, fight," Annabeth whispered.

**I needed time to think.**

**"Kronos," I said. "That's who you serve."**

**The air got colder.**

**"You should be careful with names," Luke warned.**

**"Kronos got you to steal the master bolt and the helm. He spoke to you in your dreams."**

Athena's mouth twitched, "stubborn."

**Luke's eye twitched. "He spoke to you, too, Percy. You should've listened."**

**"He's brainwashing you, Luke."**

**"You're wrong. He showed me that my talents are being wasted. You know what my quest was two years ago, Percy? My father, Hermes, wanted me to steal a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides and return it to Olympus. After all the training I'd done, _that _was the best he could think up."**

Hermes frowned, ignoring the comforting hisses Martha was sending his way and the angry ones George was sending to Luke.

**"That's not an easy quest," I said. "Hercules did it."**

**"Exactly," Luke said. "Where's the glory in repeating what others have done?**

"It wasn't for glory," Hermes said, his voice rough.

**All the gods know how to do is replay their past. My heart wasn't in it. The dragon in the garden gave me this"**

"Or you just fucked up and couldn't admit that perhaps you weren't as good as you thought," Ares scowled darkly.

"Perhaps that's it," Athena said suddenly. "Perhaps it had nothing to do with Hermes or with the gods. Maybe the reason why Luke Castellan is so angry is because Thalia was -for all intents and purposes- killed. And he blamed himself, and thought he wasn't good enough. Perhaps he blamed this upon the fact that he was untrained. But when he had become trained enough and was given his task..."

"You're suggesting that him messing up the quest was his breaking point," Artemis added quietly. "That when he messed up that quest, he couldn't handle the idea that perhaps it was his fault that Thalia had been killed. Thus, he blamed it on the gods."

"But it wasn't his fault!" Thalia insisted. "It wasn't anyone's fault, not really."

Athena gave her a look that just bordered on sympathetic. "Perhaps not. But if Grover had been faster; if Luke had been stronger; if Annabeth had been older... all these are factors that could have saved your life. It is no one's direct fault, certainly. But the facts remain."

—**he pointed angrily at his scar—"and when I came back, all I got was pity. I wanted to pull Olympus down stone by stone right then, but I bided my time. I began to dream of Kronos. He convinced me to steal something worthwhile, something no hero had ever had the courage to take.**

"Or the insanity," Dionysus muttered.

**When we went on that winter-solstice field trip, while the other campers were asleep, I snuck into the throne room and took Zeus' master bolt right from his chair. Hades' helm of darkness, too. You wouldn't believe how easy it was. The Olympians are so arrogant; they never dreamed someone would dare steal from them. Their security is horrible. I was halfway across New Jersey before I heard the storms rumbling, and I knew they'd discovered my theft."**

Zeus and Hades both snarled angrily.

**The scorpion was sitting on my knee now, staring at me with its glittering eyes. I tried to keep my voice level. "So why didn't you bring the items to Kronos?"**

**Luke's smile wavered. "I ... I got overconfident. Zeus sent out his sons and daughters to find the stolen bolt— Artemis, Apollo, my father, Hermes.**

Said gods inclined their heads when their names were mentioned, though Hermes just looked exhausted.

**But it was Ares who caught me. I could have beaten him, but I wasn't careful enough.**

"Arrogant little-" Ares grunted.

**He disarmed me, took the items of power, threatened to return them to Olympus and burn me alive. Then Kronos' voice came to me and told me what to say.**

Hermes cringed.

**I put the idea in Ares' head about a great war between the gods. I said all he had to do was hide the items away for a while and watch the others fight. Ares got a wicked gleam in his eyes. I knew he was hooked.**

Zeus glowered at his son and Ares grimaced. Not so much because he had done it, but more because he had been caught.

**He let me go, and I returned to Olympus before anyone noticed my absence." Luke drew his new sword. He ran his thumb down the flat of the blade, as if he were hypnotized by its beauty. "Afterwards, the Lord of the Titans ... h-he punished me with nightmares. I swore not to fail again.**

"Very Machiavellian of him," Annabeth sniffed, sounding very much like her mother in that moment.

**Back at Camp Half-Blood, in my dreams, I was told that a second hero would arrive, one who could be tricked into taking the bolt and the helm the rest of the way—from Ares down to Tartarus."**

Poseidon let out a slow breath.

**"_You _summoned the hellhound, that night in the forest."**

Hades looked faintly smug in being proven innocent.

**"We had to make Chiron think the camp wasn't safe for you, so he would start you on your quest. We had to confirm his fears that Hades was after you. And it worked."**

**"The flying shoes were cursed," I said. "They were supposed to drag me and the backpack into Tartarus."**

Hermes twitched.

**"And they would have, if you'd been wearing them. But you gave them to the satyr, which wasn't part of the plan. Grover messes up everything he touches. He even confused the curse."**

Thalia scowled darkly, infuriated that he would blame Grover.

**Luke looked down at the scorpion, which was now sitting on my thigh. "You should have died in Tartarus, Percy. But don't worry, I'll leave you with my little friend to set things right."**

Poseidon hissed angrily, the rain going strong once again.

**"Thalia gave her life to save you," I said, gritting my teeth. "And this is how you repay her?"**

**"Don't speak of Thalia!" he shouted. "The gods _let _her die! That's one of the many things they will pay for."**

Thalia flinched back as if struck and Annabeth squeezed her hand.

**"You're being used, Luke. You and Ares both. Don't listen to Kronos."**

"Brave boy," Hera murmured. "But he will not listen."

**_"I've _been used?" Luke's voice turned shrill. "Look at yourself. What has your dad ever done for you? Kronos will rise. You've only delayed his plans. He will cast the Olympians into Tartarus and drive humanity back to their caves. All except the strongest—the ones who serve him."**

"Foolish boy," Athena said, her voice sorrowful, "Kronos will not spare anyone. He will take the most joy in destroying those most loyal."

**"Call off the bug," I said. "If you're so strong, fight me yourself."**

"That's not going to work on him," Artemis shook her head.

**Luke smiled. "Nice try, Percy. But I'm not Ares. You can't bait me. My lord is waiting, and he's got plenty of quests for me to undertake."**

"You obstinate idiot," Annabeth whispered, her voice breaking. Thalia squeezed her hand tightly.

**"Luke—"**

**"Goodbye, Percy. There is a new Golden Age coming. You won't be part of it."**

The tension rose painfully.

**He slashed his sword in an arc and disappeared in a ripple of darkness.**

**The scorpion lunged.**

Poseidon sat upright, barely daring to breathe.

**I swatted it away with my hand and uncapped my sword. The thing jumped at me and I cut it in half in midair.**

The room paused, barely daring to believe...

**I was about to congratulate myself until I looked down at my hand. My palm had a huge red welt, oozing and smoking with yellow guck. The thing had gotten me after all.**

"Oh no," Piper whispered.

**My ears pounded. My vision went foggy. The water, I thought. It healed me before.**

"I don't think the chimera's poison is on the same level as this scorpion's..." Leo's voice faltered.

"He's alive though," Thalia told them firmly. "He makes it through this."

**I stumbled to the creek and submerged my hand, but nothing seemed to happen. The poison was too strong. My vision was getting dark. I could barely stand up.**

Poseidon pinched the bridge of his nose painfully.

**_Sixty seconds, _Luke had told me.**

**I had to get back to camp. If I collapsed out here, my body would be dinner for a monster. Nobody would ever know what had happened.**

Annabeth swallowed hard.

**My legs felt like lead. My forehead was burning. I stumbled toward the camp, and the nymphs stirred from their trees.**

**"Help," I croaked. "Please ..."**

**Two of them took my arms, pulling me along.**

"Damn, this kid is lucky," Apollo whistled, running a hand through his hair.

"Or cursed, depending on your point of view," Hephaestus muttered.

**I remember making it to the clearing, a counsellor shouting for help, a centaur blowing a conch horn.**

"Chiron got to him," Poseidon sighed, relief threading through his tone.

**Then everything went black.**

**I woke with a drinking straw in my mouth. I was sipping something that tasted like liquid chocolate-chip cookies. Nectar.**

**I opened my eyes.**

**I was propped up in bed in the sickroom of the Big House,**

"Deja vu," Leo remarked.

**my right hand bandaged like a club. Argus stood guard in the corner. Annabeth sat next to me, holding my nectar glass and dabbing a washcloth on my forehead.**

Aphrodite smiled faintly.

**"Here we are again," I said.**

"Idiot," Annabeth laughed quietly.

**"You idiot," Annabeth said, which is how I knew she was overjoyed to see me conscious.**

Annabeth flushed as a number of people sniggered at her.

**"You were green and turning grey when we found you. If it weren't for Chiron's healing ..."**

**"Now, now," Chiron's voice said. "Percy's constitution deserves some of the credit."**

"I bet it did," Apollo snorted.

**He was sitting near the foot of my bed in human form, which was why I hadn't noticed him yet. His lower half was magically compacted into the wheelchair, his upper half dressed in a coat and tie. He smiled, but his face looked weary and pale, the way it did when he'd been up all night grading Latin papers.**

"The healing must have exhausted him," Zeus remarked lowly.

**"How are you feeling?" he asked.**

**"Like my insides have been frozen, then microwaved."**

"Well shit," Leo remarked dryly, "you only got stung by an evil bug."

**"Apt, considering that was pit scorpion venom.**

Leo pointed at the book with a triumphant 'you see?' look.

**Now you must tell me, if you can, exactly what happened."**

**Between sips of nectar, I told them the story.**

**The room was quiet for a long time.**

Annabeth sighed quietly.

**"I can't believe that Luke ..." Annabeth's voice faltered. Her expression turned angry and sad. "Yes. Yes, I _can _believe it. May the gods curse him... He was never the same after his quest."**

"As we had said," Athena said, her voice was just sad, no hint of smugness or pride to her voice as it normally was when her point was validated.

**"This must be reported to Olympus," Chiron murmured. "I will go at once."**

**"Luke is out there right now," I said. "I have to go after him."**

Poseidon sighed. "Not a good idea, though I understand the will."

**Chiron shook his head. "No, Percy. The gods—"**

**"Won't even _talk _about Kronos," I snapped. "Zeus declared the matter closed!"**

Zeus scowled before shaking his head.

**"Percy, I know this is hard. But you must not rush out for vengeance. You aren't ready."**

**I didn't like it, but part of me suspected Chiron was right.**

"It's true," Jason sighed, "as much as it sucks, Luke has too much experience for Percy to fight. Ares had the experience, no doubt, but his passions clouded his judgement. Well... that and Kronos stopped him. I mean, it _was_ bad ass with what Percy did, even getting a hit on a god. But, at the same time, it's only one hit. I don't know if he'd been able to beat him in the long run."

"That's a good point," Thalia admitted, grimacing faintly. "If Percy and Ares had to duke it out until the bitter end... well, I'm not sure Percy would've been able to take him out."

"He wouldn't be able to," Zeus replied simply, "it was impressive what the boy did. But gods are able to fight for longer and are stronger. He would've been beaten eventually."

**One look at my hand, and I knew I wasn't going to be sword fighting any time soon.**

"He ought to learn to become ambidextrous with a blade," Ares muttered, his pride assuaged, "it'll help him in the long run."

**"Chiron ... your prophecy from the Oracle ... it was about Kronos, wasn't it? Was I in it? And Annabeth?"**

The tone sobered.

**Chiron glanced nervously at the ceiling. "Percy, it isn't my place—"**

**"You've been ordered not to talk to me about it, haven't you?"**

A number of gods looked sympathetic; all of the demigods looked empathetic.

**His eyes were sympathetic, but sad. "You will be a great hero, child. I will do my best to prepare you. But if I'm right about the path ahead of you …"**

**Thunder boomed overhead, rattling the windows.**

Poseidon rolled his eyes.

**"All right!" Chiron shouted. "Fine!"**

"Obviously he's not entirely happy with that judgement call either," Apollo shook his head.

**He sighed in frustration. "The gods have their reasons, Percy. Knowing too much of your future is never a good thing."**

Apollo looked grim.

**"We can't just sit back and do nothing," I said.**

**"_We _will not sit back," Chiron promised. "But _you _must be careful.**

Poseidon pressed against his temples, looking both amused and distressed.

**Kronos wants you to come unravelled. He wants your life disrupted, your thoughts clouded with fear and anger. Do not give him what he wants. Train patiently. Your time will come."**

"Ominous," Leo murmured.

**"Assuming I live that long."**

Annabeth sighed. "I swear, Perseus..." she shook her head.

**Chiron put his hand on my ankle. "You'll have to trust me, Percy. You will live. But first you must decide your path for the coming year. I cannot tell you the right choice..." I got the feeling that he had a very definite opinion, and it was taking all his willpower not to advise me.**

"And it's going to be the exact opposite of what he does," Thalia snorted. "Watch it happen."

"Well, we already know that Chiron wants him to stay and train," Jason pointed out, "that much is obvious."

**"But you must decide whether to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, or return to the mortal world for seventh grade and be a summer camper. Think on that. When I get back from Olympus, you must tell me your decision."**

**I wanted to protest. I wanted to ask him more questions. But his expression told me there could be no more discussion; he had said as much as he could.**

"It's for the best," Apollo grimaced, "even though it sucks."

**"I'll be back as soon as I can," Chiron promised. "Argus will watch over you."**

**He glanced at Annabeth. "Oh, and, my dear ... whenever you're ready, they're here."**

**"Who's here?" I asked.**

**Nobody answered.**

"And we're back to this?" Leo chuckled.

**Chiron rolled himself out of the room. I heard the wheels of his chair clunk carefully down the front steps, two at a time.**

**Annabeth studied the ice in my drink.**

**"What's wrong?" I asked her.**

**"Nothing." She set the glass on the table. "I … just took your advice about something. You … um … need anything?"**

**"Yeah. Help me up. I want to go outside."**

Poseidon couldn't help but chuckle.

**"Percy, that isn't a good idea."**

"I don't think he cares," Jason looked amused.

**I slid my legs out of bed. Annabeth caught me before I could crumple to the floor. A wave of nausea rolled over me.**

**"I'm fine," I insisted.**

"Oh yes, he's certainly inherited the brothers' obstinacy." Hera remarked dryly.

"All of their children do," Annabeth remarked with a faint grin, lightly pushing Thalia.

"To steal a phrase," Thalia replied, "I regret nothing."

"It's catching!" Leo crowed, cackling.

**I didn't want to lie in bed like an invalid while Luke was out there planning to destroy the Western world.**

Poseidon looked faintly proud at that.

**I managed a step forward. Then another, still leaning heavily on Annabeth. Argus followed us outside, but he kept his distance.**

"You know, if it hurts when you get something in your eye, does that mean that Argus always hurts?" Leo mused. "Or is it like... he's got an inner eyelid or something?"

"You should ask," Piper said, giggling faintly.

"I reckon I will," Leo grinned.

**By the time we reached the porch, my face was beaded with sweat. My stomach had twisted into knots. But I had managed to make it all the way to the railing.**

**It was dusk. The camp looked completely deserted. The cabins were dark and the volleyball pit silent. No canoes cut the surface of the lake. Beyond the woods and the strawberry fields, the Long Island Sound glittered in the last light of the sun.**

"Out of around one-hundred-fifty kids, we have maybe around thirty during the rest of the year," Annabeth stated smartly.

**"What are you going to do?" Annabeth asked me.**

**"I don't know."**

**I told her I got the feeling Chiron wanted me to stay year-round, to put in more individual training time, but I wasn't sure that's what I wanted.**

"He did say he felt like Percy was under-prepared for just this quest," Jason commented.

"But he succeeded head and shoulders above what was expected," Piper pointed out. "That ought to count for something."

**I admitted I'd feel bad about leaving her alone, though, with only Clarisse for company….**

**Annabeth pursed her lips, then said quietly, "I'm going home for the year, Percy."**

Athena smiled faintly, giving her daughter an approving look.

**I stared at her. "You mean, to your dad's?"**

**She pointed toward the crest of Half-Blood Hill. Next to Thalia's pine tree, at the very edge of the camp's magical boundaries, a family stood silhouetted—two little children, a woman, and a tall man with blond hair. They seemed to be waiting. The man was holding a backpack that looked like the one Annabeth had gotten from Waterland in Denver.**

"You kept that?" Thalia laughed.

"Shut up," Annabeth retorted, her face faintly pink as she grinned.

**"I wrote him a letter when we got back," Annabeth said. "Just like you suggested.**

Aphrodite beamed.

**I told him ... I was sorry. I'd come home for the school year if he still wanted me. He wrote back immediately. We decided ... we'd give it another try."**

"Excellent," Athena praised.

**"That took guts."**

**She pursed her lips. "You won't try anything stupid during the school year, will you? At least… not without sending me an Iris-message?"**

**I managed a smile. "I won't go looking for trouble. I usually don't have to."**

"Monster-nip," Thalia chuckled.

**"When I get back next summer," she said, "we'll hunt down Luke. We'll ask for a quest, but if we don't get approval, we'll sneak off and do it anyway. Agreed?"**

Hermes couldn't help the weak grin that pulled at his mouth at that.

**"Sounds like a plan worthy of Athena."**

Said goddess smiled and shook her head.

**She held out her hand. I shook it.**

**"Take care, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth told me. "Keep your eyes open."**

**"You too, Wise Girl."**

Aphrodite cooed.

**I watched her walk up the hill and join her family. She gave her father an awkward hug and looked back at the valley one last time. She touched Thalia's pine tree,**

Thalia squeezed her hand.

**then allowed herself to be lead over the crest and into the mortal world.**

**For the first time at camp, I felt truly alone. **

**I looked out at Long Island Sound and I remembered my father saying, _The sea does not like to be restrained._**

Poseidon smiled. True, he didn't exactly like what Percy was going to do; but he couldn't help but feel proud that Percy was going to do it.

**I made my decision.**

**I wondered, if Poseidon were watching, would he approve of my choice?**

"Judging on that smile?" Aphrodite pointed out the look on Poseidon's face. "Yes, he does."

**"I'll be back next summer," I promised him. "I'll survive until then. After all, I am your son."**

"Indeed you are." Poseidon nodded quietly.

**I asked Argus to take me down to cabin three, so I could pack my bags for home.**

"Chapter and book." Hades said, closing it and tossing it onto the coffee table. Almost immediately, it disappeared in a puff of smoke and the second book popped back in it's place.

"Well, it's little past three in the afternoon now," Hera said, "how about we break and reconvene tomorrow morning at, say, ten?"

A general murmur of agreement passed and with that, the group drifted out of the door.

* * *

Alright, book one is down and we're on to the Sea of Monster's next.

Now then, I'm going to have to tell you guys that I'm not going to be posting anything until around the 28th of March (this Thursday). Frankly, I like to build up a good number of chapters before I start posting so that, if I have a rough week or something, I'll still have chapters to post and not leave you guys too long. Thus, I need to get started with adding to the chapters for Sea of Monsters and finishing the switch-over chapter between Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters.

Hope you guys enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	26. Chapter 26

Aphrodite checked her appearance in the compact, running a hand through her hair briefly, she snapped it shut and tapped her nails against the door in front of her loudly. A dull thud followed by muffled curses sounded before the slightly frantic call of 'just a minute!' came from behind the door. Aphrodite quirked an amused brow at another quiet thud and responding curses before the door in front of her swung open; admitting a harried-looking Piper with a flushed face, rumpled clothes and mussed hair.

"Mom?" Piper blinked in shock. "Uh... s-sorry, I was, um, watching a movie and, uh, fell asleep."

"Of course," Aphrodite agreed cheerfully. "I'm sorry to burst in on you, dove, but I have to go soon and would prefer not to have this conversation in the hall. So... may I?"

"Um... yeah, sure."

The door opened and Aphrodite stepped over the threshold gracefully. She was unsure of what, exactly, the demigods had done with the rest of their day after they had finished the book. But, obviously, they had figured out how to work the flat-screen in their suites and how to get food. The television was paused with a man dressed in black with dark sunglasses on bending at an almost impossible angle to escape the touch of bullets; a large bowl of popcorn sat in the centre of the large bed with two pop cans on the left nightstand and one on the right. Someone had obviously been resting on the bed, but not in it.

"So... er..." Piper shifted uncomfortably, "what did you want to, um, talk about?"

"Jason Grace."

Piper's eyes turned blue even as her face turned a brilliant red. The Cherokee girl squirmed in her spot as she averted her eyes, unsure of how to respond. Aphrodite just waited, looking amused.

"...what about him?" Piper managed finally.

"You two are together... yes?"

"Well, um, that is- We, er," Piper tugged on one of her braid harshly. "Y-yes, we are."

Aphrodite gave a pleased smile. "Well, that's all I wanted to know."

Piper's head snapped up and her jaw dropped. "Really?" she squeaked.

"Oh, of course, I just wanted to confirm it." Aphrodite giggled, tapping her daughter's cheek fondly. "Mother's intuition and all."

"And the fact that your the goddess of love."

"Hmm, oh yes, that too," Aphrodite smiled.

"Does- does Ze -I mean... does Jason's father know?" Piper asked, looking a tad uneasy.

"Oh no, not yet." Aphrodite hummed. "But don't you worry, he won't get too upset. And I won't let him harm you; love is, after all, _my_ jurisdiction."

Piper hesitated for a moment before smiling faintly. "Thanks Mom."

Aphrodite winked at her before heading back over to the door, with the barest flick of her fingers the door swung open. Halfway out the door, Aphrodite paused and looked back at her daughter.

"Oh and dove?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't think there's anything wrong with having a friend over to watch a movie, hm? So please tell Jason that he can come out from under the bed."

With a giggly wave, Aphrodite turned and let the door fall shut behind her. Leaving her daughter standing gobsmacked in the centre of the room.

In less than three clicks of her heels, Aphrodite found herself standing on a street corner across from the apartment building Poseidon had told her about. The fall was turning colder and the air now held a bite to it; tugging at her jacket, Aphrodite briskly walked across the street, only the dim streetlights there to bear witness.

"You're late," Hera remarked, cocking an austere brow at her.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes in annoyance. Poseidon was casually leaning up against the brick of the wall, his expression unreadable and his sea-green eyes glittering. Hera was standing ramrod straight, watching the street. Artemis, for all intents and purposes, looked like she was merely tying her shoe; but Aphrodite knew that she was checking to see if any monster's had passed by recently.

"It seems clear, Uncle," Artemis remarked quietly, looking up at him. "Not even the most sly of monster's would be able to hide their tracks to the extent that not even I could sense them."

"And I'm not surprised," Hera added, wrinkling her nose, "if that smell is emanating from _that man_ then it's revolting enough to keep anyone away."

Poseidon grimaced. "Thank you, Artemis."

The huntress nodded and stood, having chosen the form of a seventeen year old girl for this. "We should move quickly and finish this _fast_. However efficient we are at hiding our own scents, itis not foolproof. And we will certainly attract attention."

"So listen well, brother," Hera said, eyeing Poseidon. "My husband has allowed us to do this, but you cannot stick around to speak with-"

"I am aware," Poseidon said, his voice deep and rumbling within his chest. "Do not preach at me, sister, I know full-well my brother's decision."

The two major gods gave each other annoyed looks before Aphrodite broke the staring match by striding right past them and into the building.

In a word, it was repulsive.

Oh, not the building, _that_ was orderly and neat enough. Perhaps not a very rich area, but not the slums either. But the stench of Gabe Ugliano only got stronger and more foul the further up they travelled. It got to the point where Aphrodite simply had to wonder how anyone could even bear to live _near_ such a man.

Irrelevant, however, eventually the group found themselves standing on the seventh floor in front of a very specific door. Poseidon stared at it broodily, before reaching up to sharply rap his knuckles against the door. There was a moment of silence before they finally heard the lock slide open, Poseidon took up a spot at the rear of the group, keeping his head down.

The first thing Aphrodite thought upon the door opening was that Percy Jackson gave surprisingly excellent descriptions of people. For Gabe Ugliano was exactly as disgusting as the boy had described in the novel.

"Who the hell are you?" He grunted, scratching his chest.

"Not important," Artemis snarled, shoving the man back with her bow.

The fat man fell backwards, stumbling to recover his balance. But by that point, all four of the gods had entered the small apartment. Before Gabe could so much as holler, Artemis had him by the throat and up against the wall.

"Poseidon," her voice was sharp, "go check on the boy."

Poseidon stiffened at the order, narrowing his eyes at his niece. Silvery-yellow eyes connected with sea-green and understanding past between the two. Artemis was giving him a choice: either he could stay and beat up this insufferable excuse for a human being, or he could go and spend what little time he had with his son. With a short nod, Poseidon turned on his heel and left, already having memorized the path to his son's room.

"Now, darling," Aphrodite spoke, her voice as sweet as sugar, "we're going to have a little chat..."

The sea god ignored them, his hand falling upon a doorknob hesitantly. He paused for only a moment before opening the door quietly and letting himself in.

The room was dark, only a pale nightlight flickered at the end of the room. The walls were blue, and the bedspread was a darker colour, green perhaps. There were seashells on the dresser (he remembered the days when Sally took Percy to Montauk and would spend hours collecting them with him; Poseidon would sometimes push the prettiest and most amazing shells he could find directly from the seabed and up towards his son and lover) and a rotating sea-creature mobile hanging over the bed. Poseidon felt his breath hitch in his throat as he beheld the figure on the bed. The last time he had been this close to his son, the child was only a few weeks old -not even that. But here... now... Poseidon could see a glimpse of the man he would grow to be. His face was calm in sleep, and sea-green eyes were closed; his tousled black hair was just barely visible and his small arms were wrapped around a plush dolphin toy.

Poseidon swallowed hard and closed the door behind him quietly, with silent steps, he moved forward to sit on the end of Percy's bed; the boy didn't stir. It had been a long time since Poseidon had had a child, and it was odd, hearing himself being referred to as 'dad'. The last time he had a child was during an age when all heroes referred to their godly parents in the formal sense. Hell, even after a certain age it was expected of children to only refer to their parents in the formal sense. But this...

It was like children were allowed to be children longer, Poseidon mused. No more learning to fight at the age of seven such as the Spartans. His hand reached out to rest against Percy's head; the boy murmured in his sleep and pressed his face against his plush toy before settling once again. Poseidon smiled.

He was unsure of how much time had passed, just being able to sit next to his boy. But far too soon a knock came at the door and Aphrodite opened it quietly. No words were said as the god stood, gave one last look towards his sleeping son and left the room. Gabe was in a fitful sleep on the couch, looking for all intents and purposes like he had just fallen asleep there.

"He'll have horrid nightmares for a while," Hera said simply before Poseidon even asked. "Dreaming of his hands burning when he tries to punch, his legs freezing when he tries to kick... his tongue falling out when he tries to scream. Percy and Sally will be quite safe from him."

The sea god merely nods and the four leave the apartment building in silence. Nothing needs to be said as they all disperse; but Poseidon can't help but give one last look towards his son's room before turning back to his sea.

* * *

Do I like this chapter...?

Eh... not really.

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	27. The Sea of Monsters

The next morning hold a cold snap to it as everyone piles into the reading room. As per usual, Hera had placed an assortment of food and drinks on the table as the group stumbled in the door. Despite the later hour, most were still half-asleep. Nonetheless, the second book was quickly snatched up by a still-yawning Leo.

"So," he said, running a hand through his hair with a lazy grin, "we ready to get this show on the road?" A consenting murmur filtered through the room and the son of Hephaestus' grin broadened. "Alright then. Book Two: The Sea of Monsters," looks were exchanged amongst the gods at that, "chapter one: **My Best Friend Shops for a Wedding Dress."**

"Alright, that's a new one," Apollo chuckled. "I'm assuming that this is Grover?"

"Yes, it was Grover," Annabeth said dryly, curled up with a coffee mug in her hands. "Nobody get overexcited."

"This means you, Aphrodite," Hermes snickered. The goddess of love huffed and tossed her hair.

**My nightmare started like this.**

"Lovely," Poseidon muttered.

**I was standing on a deserted street in some little beach town. It was the middle of the night. A storm was blowing.**

Poseidon quirked a brow curiously, and surreptitious looks were being tossed in his direction.

**Wind and rain ripped at the palm trees along the sidewalk. Pink and yellow stucco buildings lined the street, their windows boarded up. A block away, past a line of hibiscus bushes, the ocean churned.**

**_Florida, _I thought. Though I wasn't sure how I knew that.**

"It's by the sea," Jason remarked, "that might have something to do with it."

"It does," Annabeth stated, though she offered no other points on the matter.

**I'd never been to Florida. Then I heard hooves clattering against the pavement. I turned and saw my friend Grover running for his life.**

"Well, that's not good," Apollo blinked. "Poor satyr dude, hope he's not dead."

Artemis heaved a long-suffering sigh and smacked her twin upside the head.

**Yeah, I said _hooves._**

**Grover is a satyr.**

"We already know this," Apollo groaned. "Don't tell me he's going to recount everything!"

"Perhaps not in detail," Athena commented, "but this has been set up as if it were a fantasy novel. Thus, there should be a good amount of background detail."

"Man," Apollo grumbled, "the kid better get my looks right then."

"Of course you would think of that," Artemis said, rolling her eyes.

"Sis, I haven't had curls since -like- the sixteen hundreds."

"No, you had them about ten years ago, remember?" Hermes looked amused. "For a girl... what was her name? Ah... Haley, Hildie Fencer?"

"Lies!" Apollo called. "Er... except the girl. Holly Fletcher."

"_That's_ the one!"

"Oh, shut up! The both of you!" Artemis scolded with a scowl.

**From the waist up, he looks like a typical gangly teenager with a peach-fuzz goatee and a bad case of acne. He walks with a strange limp, but unless you happen to catch him without his pants on (which I don't recommend),**

A cacophony of snorts.

**you'd never know there was anything un-human about him. Baggy jeans and fake feet hide the fact that he's got furry hindquarters and hooves.**

**Grover had been my best friend in sixth grade. He'd gone on this adventure with me and a girl named Annabeth to save the world,**

Annabeth smiled faintly and rolled her eyes.

**but I hadn't seen him since last July, when he set off alone on a dangerous quest—a quest no satyr had ever returned from.**

One thing could be said for demigods, Dionysus mused as he eyed the defiant looks on the their faces, they were insufferably stubborn. And he'd never admit it, but that was more than slightly impressive.

**Anyway, in my dream, Grover was hauling goat tail, holding his human shoes in his hands the way he does when he needs to move fast.**

"Wouldn't the jeans also restrict his movement?" Leo pointed out.

"Apparently not," Jason snorted.

**He clopped past the little tourist shops and surfboard rental places. The wind bent the palm trees almost to the ground.**

**Grover was terrified of something behind him. He must've just come from the beach. Wet sand was caked in his fur. He'd escaped from somewhere. He was trying to get away from ... something.**

"Well, that's not good," Apollo snorted, fiddling with his iPod.

**A bone-rattling growl cut through the storm. Behind Grover, at the far end of the block, a shadowy figure loomed. It swatted aside a street lamp, which burst in a shower of sparks.**

"A monster," Thalia rolled her eyes, "lovely."

**Grover stumbled, whimpering in fear. He muttered to himself, _Have to get away. Have to warn them!_**

_About what?_ Athena quirked a brow.

**I couldn't see what was chasing him, but I could hear it muttering and cursing. The ground shook as it got closer. Grover dashed around a street corner and faltered. He'd run into a dead-end courtyard full of shops. No time to back up. The nearest door had been blown open by the storm. The sign above the darkened display window read: ST. AUGUSTINE BRIDAL BOUTIQUE.**

"Is his dyslexia better because it's a dream?" Artemis asked, her brow furrowing. "I was under the impression that it took him a few minutes."

"Well..." Annabeth said, "think of it like resting your eyes. Whenever we read Ancient Greek it... helps us, I guess. Like, I don't know, putting on glasses when you have problems seeing. It makes the English easier to deal with for a short spell... like a reset button."

**Grover dashed inside. He dove behind a rack of wedding dresses.**

"Fun," Leo snickered.

**The monster's shadow passed in front of the shop. I could smell the thing—a sickening combination of wet sheep wool and rotten meat and that weird sour body odour only monsters can have, like a skunk that's been living off Mexican food.**

"Disgusting," Aphrodite remarked, wrinkling her nose.

**Grover trembled behind the wedding dresses. The monster's shadow passed on.**

**Silence except for the rain. Grover took a deep breath. Maybe the thing was gone.**

"Way to jinx it, dude," Apollo snorted.

**Then lightning flashed. The entire front of the store exploded, and a monstrous voice bellowed: "MIIIIINE!"**

**I sat bolt upright, shivering in my bed.**

"I would too," Jason said, shaking his head.

**There was no storm. No monster.**

**Morning sunlight filtered through my bedroom window.**

**I thought I saw a shadow flicker across the glass—a humanlike shape.**

Annabeth looked up at the ceiling.

**But then there was a knock on my bed room door—my mom called: "Percy, you're going to be late"—and the shadow at the window disappeared.**

**It must've been my imagination. A fifth-story window with a rickety old fire escape ... there couldn't have been anyone out there.**

"Will he ever get rid of that doubt?" Dionysus scoffed. "You'd think the boy would learn by now that there is very little a monster -or god- cannot do. And this boy has enemies enough within either group."

**"Come on, dear," my mother called again. "Last day of school. You should be excited! You've almost made it!"**

"Jeez, what is it with people and _jinxing_ things," Apollo snorted. "Honestly, back when everyone was superstitious things were so much more _fun_."

"For whom?" Annabeth asked wryly; Apollo just cackled.

**"Coming," I managed.**

**I felt under my pillow. My fingers closed reassuringly around the ballpoint pen I always slept with.**

"Now, out of context," Thalia said, grinning faintly, "Percy just sounds like a nut, doesn't he?"

"We didn't need this book to tell us that," Annabeth giggled.

**I brought it out, studied the Ancient Greek writing engraved on the side: _Anaklusmos. _Riptide. I thought about uncapping it, but something held me back. I hadn't used Riptide for so long….**

Poseidon shook his head. "That's going to work against him."

"Yeah, no shit," Ares snorted, only to get a water bucket thrown at his face.

No, not the water.

Just the bucket.

**Besides, my mom had made me promise not to use deadly weapons in the apartment after I'd swung a javelin the wrong way and taken out her china cabinet.**

"Sea brain," Thalia snorted, rolling her eyes.

**I put Anaklusmos on my nightstand and dragged myself out of bed.**

**I got dressed as quickly as I could. I tried not to think about my nightmare or monsters or the shadow at my window.**

Annabeth shook her head.

_**Have to get away. Have to warn them!**_

**What had Grover meant?**

Leo paused. "Well, isn't it obvious? That he had to get away and that he had to warn them."

"Get away from what and warn who?" Piper asked, shaking her head.

"Hey, Piper, I just read the book. I don't interpret it."

Piper smacked him, making him snicker.

**I made a three-fingered claw over my heart and pushed outward—an ancient gesture Grover had once taught me for warding off evil.**

**The dream couldn't have been real.**

A cacophony of snorts rang out and Poseidon cocked a brow.

**Last day of school. My mom was right, I should have been excited. For the first time in my life, I'd almost made it an entire year without getting expelled. No weird accidents. No fights in the classroom. No teachers turning into monsters**

Hades looked upwards innocently.

**and trying to kill me with poisoned cafeteria food or exploding homework. **

"Exploding homework?" Apollo grinned. "Now, _that_ I want to hear about."

**Tomorrow, I'd be on my way to my favourite place in the world—Camp Half-Blood.**

**Only one more day to go. Surely even I couldn't mess that up.**

"Ooh boy," Jason ran a hand through his hair.

**As usual, I didn't have a clue how wrong I was.**

"At least he can admit it," Demeter snorted.

**My mom made blue waffles and blue eggs for breakfast. She's funny that way, celebrating special occasions with blue food. I think it's her way of saying anything is possible. Percy can pass seventh grade. Waffles can be blue. Little miracles like that.**

"The fact that he puts him passing and blue waffles on the same level..." Piper grinned and shook her head.

**I ate at the kitchen table while my mom washed dishes. She was dressed in her work uniform—a starry blue skirt and a red-and-white striped blouse she wore to sell candy at Sweet on America. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail.**

**The waffles tasted great, but I guess I wasn't digging in like I usually did. My mom looked over and frowned. "Percy, are you all right?"**

"Mother always knows best," Hera smiled, looking a touch smug.

**"Yeah ... fine."**

**But she could always tell when something was bothering me. She dried her hands and sat down across from me. "School, or ..."**

**She didn't need to finish. I knew what she was asking.**

**"I think Grover's in trouble," I said, and I told her about my dream.**

"Oh, he's a darling," Hera smiled. "I like this Perseus. The other one had a few... disagreeable qualities."

"Only because he was Zeus' boy," Hephaestus snorted. "The original Perseus was just as devoted to his mother, and you know it."

Hera shot him an irritated look.

**She pursed her lips. We didn't talk much about the _other _part of my life. We tried to live as normally as possible, but my mom knew all about Grover.**

"Almost sounds as if she's trying to cut it out," Athena murmured.

"Or trying to protect Percy," Poseidon pointed out. "Trying to give him the best upbringing he can... a place where he can be normal."

"I am perfectly normal," Leo replied indignantly.

"Didn't you manage to set your bed on fire because you geeked out too hard over that Iron Man movie?"

"Piper, have you _seen_ that movie? Man, I am going to create myself a Jarvis and go to _town_!"

Piper rolled her eyes and turned to Poseidon. "Excuse him, Lord Poseidon, he's crazy."

"Yeah, crazy in the mad genius kind of way!"

"Leo!"

**"I wouldn't be too worried, dear," she said. "Grover is a big satyr now. If there were a problem, I'm sure we would've heard from ... from camp..." Her shoulders tensed as she said the word _camp._**

The gods exchanged looks and Annabeth looked grim.

**"What is it?" I asked.**

**"Nothing," she said. "I'll tell you what. This afternoon we'll celebrate the end of school. I'll take you and Tyson to Rockefeller Centre—to that skateboard shop you like."**

"Skateboarding," Jason just chuckled.

**Oh, man, that was tempting. We were always struggling with money. Between my mom's night classes and my private school tuition, we could never afford to do special stuff like shop for a skateboard. But something in her voice bothered me.**

Hera couldn't seem to stop beaming, Zeus just eyed her warily and sat back in his spot.

**"Wait a minute," I said. "I thought we were packing me up for camp tonight."**

**She twisted her dishrag. "Ah, dear, about that ... I got a message from Chiron last night."**

The tone in the room sobered somewhat.

"Well, that's not good," Apollo muttered.

**My heart sank. Chiron was the activities director at Camp Half-Blood. He wouldn't contact us unless something serious was going on. "What did he say?"**

**"He thinks ... it might not be safe for you to come to camp just yet. We might have to postpone."**

Dionysus frowned darkly, his brow furrowing.

**_"Postpone? _Mom, how could it not be _safe_? I'm a half-blood! It's like the only safe place on earth for me!"**

"Well, that and the sea," Piper remarked quietly.

"I think he means where he can interact with other people, not just... fish. Or- or mermaids and naiads and, well, gods." Jason pointed out, gesturing vaguely.

"You forgot the cyclopes, the mammals, and a whole list of other things that would probably make your head spin," Poseidon chuckled.

"Is there a kraken too?" Leo asked, an eager look on his face.

Poseidon gave a half-grin. "Of course. Terribly old fellow, older than we are at any rate," here the sea god chuckled, "he's a nice enough sort. But don't bother him when he's listening to chamber music. He gets tetchy about that kind of thing."

"Wicked," Leo grinned.

**"Usually, dear. But with the problems they're having—"**

**"_What _problems?"**

**"Percy ... I'm very, very sorry. I was hoping to talk to you about it this afternoon. I can't explain it all now. I'm not even sure Chiron can. Everything happened so suddenly."**

Annabeth and Thalia both grimaced.

**My mind was reeling. How could I _not _go to camp? I wanted to ask a million questions, but just then the kitchen clock chimed the half-hour.**

**My mom looked almost relieved.**

"She probably is," Piper remarked with a sigh.

**"Seven-thirty, dear. You should go. Tyson will be waiting."**

**"But—"**

**"Percy, we'll talk this afternoon. Go on to school."**

**That was the last thing I wanted to do, but my mom had this fragile look in her eyes—a kind of warning, like if I pushed her too hard she'd start to cry. Besides, she was right about my friend Tyson. I had to meet him at the subway station on time or he'd get upset. He was scared of travelling underground alone.**

"No wonders why," Annabeth sighed.

"Why? Who's Tyson?" Hermes asked her, cocking a brow.

"You'll see soon enough, I suppose."

**I gathered up my stuff, but I stopped in the doorway. "Mom, this problem at camp. Does it... could it have anything to do with my dream about Grover?"**

**She wouldn't meet my eyes. "We'll talk this afternoon, dear. I'll explain ... as much as I can."**

"So, that's a yes," Apollo snorted.

**Reluctantly, I told her good-bye. I jogged downstairs to catch the Number Two train.**

**I didn't know it at the time, but my mom and I would never get to have our afternoon talk.**

Poseidon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

**In fact, I wouldn't be seeing home for a long, long time.**

Looks were exchanged; no one liked the sound of that. Especially not when put into context with their children.

**As I stepped outside, I glanced at the brownstone building across the street. Just for a second I saw a dark shape in the morning sunlight—a human silhouette against the brick wall, a shadow that belonged to no one.**

**Then it rippled and vanished.**

Annabeth sighed as Leo held up the book. "Takers?" He asked.

"Here, boy," Dionysus rolled his eyes, taking the book he cocked a brow at the title. "Chapter two: I Play Dodgeball with Cannonballs."

* * *

I always like the beginning of novels. They're so humorous aren't they? Nothing too painful or heavy or dark. No growling or snarling or sneering or snarking. Just laughing and sarcasm and the vague and numerous references that I love so much.

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth

P.S Expect the next chapter sometime during Friday.


	28. Chapter 28

**I Play Dodgeball with Cannibals**

"Sounds cheery," Poseidon remarked dryly, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

**My day started normal. Or as normal as it ever gets at Meriwether College Prep.**

"For some reason, I get the sense that he's not referring to himself this time," Thalia chuckled.

**See, it's this "progressive" school in downtown Manhattan, which means we sit on beanbag chairs instead of at desks, and we don't get grades, and the teachers wear jeans and rock concert T-shirts to work.**

"Can I just say? Awesome!" Leo fist-pumped.

**That's all cool with me. I mean, I'm ADHD and dyslexic, like most half-bloods, so I'd never done that great in regular schools even before they kicked me out.**

"Ring it in ladies and gentlemen," Piper snorted, shaking her head.

**The only bad thing about Meriwether was that the teachers always looked on the bright side of things, and the kids weren't always ... well, bright.**

"Cool story, bro," Apollo chuckled, rolling his eyes.

**Take my first class today: English. The whole middle school had read this book called _Lord of the Flies, _where all these kids get marooned on an island and go psycho.**

"Sounds like Cam Half-Blood." Jason remarked offhandedly, only to get hit in the face with a pillow. "Piper!"

"To quote Leo: I regret nothing!" She declared, grinning at him mischievously.

"Booyeah!" Leo laughed.

**So for our final exam, our teachers sent us into the break yard to spend an hour with no adult supervision to see what would happen. What happened was a massive wedgie contest between the seventh and eighth graders, two pebble fights, and a full-tackle basketball game.**

"How does one play full-tackle basketball?" Hermes chuckled, looking amused.

"You tackle whoever has the ball and whoever looks at you funny," Ares scoffed at him. "Obviously."

"Obviously," Hermes repeated dryly.

**The school bully, Matt Sloan, led most of those activities.**

**Sloan wasn't big or strong, but he acted like he was.**

Ares snorted, crossing his arms over his chest.

**He had eyes like a pit bull, and shaggy black hair, and he always dressed in expensive but sloppy clothes, like he wanted everybody to see how little he cared about his family's money. One of his front teeth was chipped from the time he'd taken his daddy's Porsche for a joyride and run into a PLEASE SLOW DOWN FOR CHILDREN sign.**

"Wretched," Hera sniffed.

**Anyway, Sloan was giving everybody wedgies until he made the mistake of trying it on my friend Tyson.**

Annabeth frowned.

**Tyson was the only homeless kid at Meriwether College Prep. As near as my mom and I could figure, he'd been abandoned by his parents**

Thalia and Annabeth exchanged looks.

**when he was very young, probably because he was so... different.**

"I seem to have gotten the oddest feeling that Tyson is not exactly human," Athena remarked dryly.

"Funnily enough," Artemis remarked grimly, "so have I."

**He was six-foot-three and built like the Abominable Snowman, but he cried a lot and was scared of just about everything, including his own reflection. His face was kind of misshapen and brutal-looking. I couldn't tell you what colour his eyes were, because I could never make myself look higher than his crooked teeth. His voice was deep, but he talked funny, like a much younger kid—I guess because he'd never gone to school before coming to Meriwether. He wore tattered jeans, grimy size-twenty sneakers, and a plaid flannel shirt with holes in it. He smelled like a New York City alleyway, because that's where he lived, in a cardboard refrigerator box off 72nd Street.**

"Poor boy," Hera remarked, though her tone held no conviction.

Hephaestus swore violently as a component to the machine in his lap broke; his eyes glittered darkly with a sort of fury that Annabeth had never seen before and Leo frowned.

**Meriwether Prep had adopted him as a community service project so all the students could feel good about themselves. Unfortunately, most of them couldn't stand Tyson. Once they discovered he was a big softie, despite his massive strength and his scary looks, they made themselves feel good by picking on him.**

"Look at them," Apollo laughed, "learning the way of the world so young."

"Bullying isn't right, Lord Apollo," Piper frowned at him.

Apollo gave her an amused look. "You some very defined morals, Piper McLean."

"Is that a bad thing?" She asked, her tone a touch defensive.

He waved her off. "Nah, not in the slightest. Don't worry about it, kid."

**I was pretty much his only friend, which meant he was myonly friend.**

"He's brave for standing by him, then," Hestia remarked softly.

**My mom had complained to the school a million times that they weren't doing enough to help him. She'd called social services, but nothing ever seemed to happen. The social workers claimed Tyson didn't exist. They swore up and down that they'd visited the alley we described and couldn't find him, though how you miss a giant kid living in a refrigerator box, I don't know.**

"He is a monster," Athena confirmed, a dark frown on her face, "though, why he has been helping Percy, I do not know."

**Anyway, Matt Sloan snuck up behind him and tried to give him a wedgie, and Tyson panicked. He swatted Sloan away a little too hard. Sloan flew fifteen feet and got tangled in the little kids' tire swing.**

Apollo sniggered.

**"You freak!" Sloan yelled. "Why don't you go back to your cardboard box!"**

**Tyson started sobbing. He sat down on the jungle gym so hard he bent the bar,**

"Either that's some serious weight, some serious strength, or a really shitty playground." Leo snorted, shaking his head with a grin.

**and buried his head in his hands.**

**"Take it back, Sloan!" I shouted.**

**Sloan just sneered at me. "Why do you even bother, Jackson? You might have _friends _if you weren't always sticking up for that freak."**

"One: Tyson's not a freak," Annabeth said hotly, "and two: Percy's friends would sooner die for him than hear him be slandered. Jackass."

Poseidon quirked a brow, both impressed, grateful, and curious as to the venom in Annabeth's voice.

**I balled my fists. I hoped my face wasn't as red as it felt. "He's _not _a freak. He's just..."**

**I tried to think of the right thing to say, but Sloan wasn't listening.**

"Of course he's not, punk," Ares scoffed, "brats like Sloan don't work like that."

**He and his big ugly friends were too busy laughing. I wondered if it were my imagination, or if Sloan had more goons hanging around him than usual. I was used to seeing him with two or three, but today he had like, half a dozen more, and I was pretty sure I'd never seen them before.**

Looks were exchanged and Poseidon became grim.

**"Just wait till PE, Jackson," Sloan called. "You are _so _dead."**

"Now, if only Percy wasn't so bloody obsessed with doing the right thing," Thalia griped, "he could knock Sloan flat on his ass in under two minutes but he refuses to."

"He does that for monsters too," Annabeth sighed, "letting them go because he relates one of them to a friend."

"Well," Dionysus scoffed, "that's a new one."

**When first period ended, our English teacher, Mr. de Milo, came outside to inspect the carnage. He pronounced that we'd understood _Lord of the Flies _perfectly. We all passed his course, and we should never, never grow up to be violent people.**

"That's a great idea," Hades drawled, "tack it on to the end; not like they were actually acting that way. Pft, as if I _need_ anymore serial killers."

"_Who's_ killing cereal?" Demeter spluttered, her face going read.

"S-E-R-I-A-L, Demeter!" Hades snapped at her, practically spitting each letter at her. "Learn the difference."

Demeter narrowed her eyes at him.

**Matt Sloan nodded earnestly, then gave me a chip-toothed grin.**

**I had to promise to buy Tyson an extra peanut butter sandwich at lunch to get him to stop sobbing.**

"Peanut Butter," Thalia suddenly collapsed into laughter. "You remember, Anna?"

"It's an excellent war cry," Annabeth laughed with her, a broad grin on her face.

**"I ... I am a freak?" he asked me.**

**"No," I promised, gritting my teeth. "Matt Sloan is the freak."**

Hestia smiled, swinging her feet.

**Tyson sniffled. "You are a good friend. Miss you next year if ... if I can't ..."**

**His voice trembled. I realized he didn't know if he'd be invited back next year for the community service project. I wondered if the headmaster had even bothered talking to him about it.**

"I doubt it," Jason remarked, "but, knowing what I do of Percy, I doubt that'll be too much of an issue."

**"Don't worry, big guy," I managed. "Everything's going to be fine."**

**Tyson gave me such a grateful look I felt like a big liar. How could I promise a kid like him that _anything _would be fine?**

"Quite easily, it seems," Artemis remarked, looking unimpressed.

**Our next exam was science. Mrs. Tesla**

"Tesla?" Leo asked, cocking a brow. "Like... Nikola Tesla?"

"I doubt that," Piper said with a shrug, "though it is a cool coincidence."

**told us that we had to mix chemicals until we succeeded in making something explode, Tyson was my lab partner. His hands were way too big for the tiny vials we were supposed to use. He accidentally knocked a tray of chemicals off the counter and made an orange mushroom cloud in the trashcan.**

"How safe," Athena remarked dryly.

**After Mrs. Tesla evacuated the lab and called the hazardous waste removal squad, she praised Tyson and me for being natural chemists. We were the first ones who'd ever aced her exam in under thirty seconds.**

The room chuckled.

**I was glad the morning went fast, because it kept me from thinking too much about my problems. I couldn't stand the idea that something might be wrong at camp. Even worse, I couldn't shake the memory of my bad dream. I had a terrible feeling that Grover was in danger.**

"And the two are probably connected because that's the way these things work," Apollo shook his head.

"Cheery, twin," Artemis scowled.

"No. Just the truth."

**In social studies, while we were drawing latitude/longitude maps,**

Thalia shook her head.

**I opened my notebook and stared at the photo inside—my friend Annabeth**

Aphrodite squealed and Annabeth flushed, a pleased smile on her mouth. Athena raised an eyebrow.

**on vacation in Washington, D.C. She was wearing jeans and a denim jacket over her orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt. Her blond hair was pulled back in a bandanna. She was standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial with her arms crossed, looking extremely pleased with herself, like she'd personally designed the place.**

Annabeth blushed darker as Thalia laughed and nudged her.

**See, Annabeth wants to be an architect when she grows up, so she's always visiting famous monuments and stuff. She's weird that way.**

Annabeth rolled her eyes, though the smile on her mouth gave her away.

**She'd e-mailed me the picture after spring break, and every once in a while I'd look at it just to remind myself she was real and Camp Half-Blood hadn't just been my imagination.**

"I get that feeling," Piper sighed.

**I wished Annabeth were here. She'd know what to make of my dream.**

"Well... I'd try, at least."

**I'd never admit it to her, but she was smarter than me, even if she was annoying sometimes.**

"Jerk," Annabeth huffed, a touch of laughter to her tone. She knew Percy didn't mean anything by it.

**I was about to close my notebook when Matt Sloan reached over and ripped the photo out of the rings.**

"Prick," Apollo muttered.

"Honestly," Aphrodite agreed with a sniff, "this is such a wonderful love story too!"

"Aphrodite..." Athena warned, pinching the bridge of her nose.

**"Hey!" I protested.**

**Sloan checked out the picture and his eyes got wide. "No way, Jackson. Who is that? She is _not _your—"**

Annabeth scowled and rolled her eyes, though her face was still tinged with pink.

**"Give it back!" My ears felt hot.**

**Sloan handed the photo to his ugly buddies, who snickered and started ripping it up to make spit wads. They were new kids who must've been visiting, because they were all wearing those stupid HI! MY NAME IS:**

"Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

"Piper McLean, now _that_ is what I'm talking about!"

**tags from the admissions office. They must've had a weird sense of humour, too, because they'd all filled in strange names like: MARROW SUCKER, SKULL EATER, and JOE BOB. No human beings had names like that.**

"I'm pretty sure there are a couple of Joe Bobs running around," Hermes chuckled.

"You realize that the most stereotypical redneck name is William Robert Joseph?" Leo remarked.

"Billy Bob Joe." Jason rolled his eyes with a grin.

"Bingo."

**"These guys are moving here next year," Sloan bragged, like that was supposed to scare me. "I bet they can _pay _the tuition, too, unlike your retard**

"I hate that expression," Jason scowled, looking much like his father in expression. "It's offensive and crude and ridiculous."

"Agreed," Leo nodded. "Nobody should be using that type of language. Cuss all you want, but not when you're using words like that. _Gay_, _queer_, _fag_, _homo_, _retard_... using those words like that is bull and they ought to be tossed off a cliff and straight into Tartarus."

**friend."**

**"He's _not _retarded." I had to try really, really hard not to punch Sloan in the face.**

The demigods looked like they would love it if he did.

**"You're such a loser, Jackson. Good thing I'm gonna put you out of your misery next period."**

Annabeth stiffened and Thalia placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing almost painfully.

**His huge buddies chewed up my photo. I wanted to pulverize them, but I was under strict orders from Chiron never to take my anger out on regular mortals, no matter how obnoxious they were.**

"Punk, welcome to my hell," Ares scoffed.

"I do concur," Dionysus drawled.

**I had to save my fighting for monsters. Still, part of me thought, if Sloan only knew who I really was...**

Poseidon chuckled and shook his head.

**The bell rang.**

**As Tyson and I were leaving class, a girl's voice whispered, "Percy!"**

Confused looks were exchanged and more than a few glances were tossed towards Annabeth.

**I looked around the locker area, but nobody was paying me any attention. Like any girl at Meriwether would ever be caught dead calling my name.**

Apollo coughed loudly, trying to hide his shit-eating grin.

**Before I had time to consider whether or not I'd been imagining things, a crowd of kids rushed for the gym, carrying Tyson and me along with them. It was time for PE. Our coach had promised us a free-for-all dodgeball game, and Matt Sloan had promised to kill me.**

"Sounds like capture the flag," Thalia chuckled.

"Except we do have rules," Annabeth remarked dryly.

"No maiming or killing, yeah, yeah."

**The gym uniform at Meriwether is sky blue shorts and tie-dyed T-shirts. Fortunately, we did most of our athletic stuff inside, so we didn't have to jog through Tribeca looking like a bunch of boot-camp hippie children.**

"Isn't that a bit of an oxymoron?" Hermes chuckled.

"Sounds like ROFL," Apollo remarked casually.

"Rolling On the Floor Laughing?" Leo asked, his eyebrows raised.

"No, Rainbow Organic Foods and Lifestyles." Apollo corrected simply.

**I changed as quickly as I could in the locker room because I didn't want to deal with Sloan. I was about to leave when Tyson called, "Percy?"**

**He hadn't changed yet. He was standing by the weight room door, clutching his gym clothes. "Will you ... uh ..."**

**"Oh. Yeah." I tried not to sound aggravated about it. "Yeah, sure, man."**

Apollo's eyebrows raised suggestively and Artemis smacked him over the head harshly.

**Tyson ducked inside the weight room. I stood guard outside the door while he changed. I felt kind of awkward doing this, but he asked me to most days. I think it's because he's completely hairy and he's got weird scars on his back that I've never had the courage to ask him about.**

"Sphinx on 72nd," Annabeth mumbled, her grey eyes focused on nothing though it was obvious that she was listening intently.

**Anyway, I'd learned the hard way that if people teased Tyson while he was dressing out, he'd get upset and start ripping the doors off lockers.**

"That... is like... Hulk Smash." Leo said, nodding approvingly. "Or 'clobbering time'."

"You read way too many comics," Jason chuckled.

**When we got into the gym, Coach Nunley was sitting at his little desk reading _Sports Illustrated. _Nunley was about a million years old, with bifocals and no teeth and a greasy wave of grey hair. He reminded me of the Oracle at Camp Half-Blood—which was a shrivelled-up mummy—except Coach Nunley moved a lot less**

"That's _possible_?" Thalia snorted. "That thing was creepy as _hell_."

"I'm telling Red that you said that," Annabeth teased.

**and he never billowed green smoke.**

**Well, at least not that I'd observed.**

A smattering of chuckles echoed.

**Matt Sloan said, "Coach, can I be captain?"**

**"Eh?" Coach Nunley looked up from his magazine. "Yeah," he mumbled. "Mm-hmm."**

**Sloan grinned and took charge of the picking. He made me the other team's captain, but it didn't matter who I picked, because all the jocks and the popular kids moved over to Sloan's side. So did the big group of visitors.**

Jason winced. "That's... not going to be good."

"Aren't there ever any drifters?" Piper sighed. "You know, the kids that can go to any group no problem?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean they fit in well with every group," Leo remarked offhandedly as he wrestled with tugging the tab off of his coke.

**On my side I had Tyson, Corey Bailer the computer geek, Raj Mandali the calculus whiz, and a half dozen other kids who always got harassed by Sloan and his gang. Normally I would've been okay with just Tyson—he was worth half a team all by himself—but the visitors on Sloan's team were almost as tall and strong-looking as Tyson, and there were six of them.**

"Ooh, this is not going to end well," Apollo winced sympathetically.

**Matt Sloan spilled a cage full of balls in the middle of the gym.**

**"Scared," Tyson mumbled. "Smell funny."**

**I looked at him. "What smells funny?" Because I didn't figure he was talking about himself.**

Leo sniggered.

**"Them." Tyson pointed at Sloan's new friends. "Smell funny."**

Poseidon just sighed.

**The visitors were cracking their knuckles, eyeing us like it was slaughter time. I couldn't help wondering where they were from. Some place where they fed kids raw meat and beat them with sticks.**

"Sparta," Leo chuckled, "that's where they're from."

"Probably," Ares cackled, "the Spartans used to pit their young fighters against monsters."

"They'd be able to see them?"

"Oh yeah, preconceived notions are what create the Mist kid."

"But the Iliad-"

"Became history because the truth had withered away," Athena said simply. "Now, if we may read...?"

**Sloan blew the coach's whistle and the game began. Sloan's team ran for the centre line. On my side, Raj Mandali yelled something in Urdu, probably "I have to go potty!" and ran for the exit. Corey Bailer tried to crawl behind the wall mat and hide. The rest of my team did their best to cower in fear and not look like targets.**

"Which is the easiest way to look like targets," Ares noted.

**"Tyson," I said. "Let's g—"**

**A ball slammed into my gut.**

"Ouch!"

**I sat down hard in the middle of the gym floor. The other team exploded in laughter.**

**My eyesight was fuzzy. I felt like I'd just gotten the Heimlich manoeuvre from a gorilla. I couldn't believe anybody could throw that hard.**

"I reckon this will be good." Jason sighed, not looking amused at all.

**Tyson yelled, "Percy, duck!"**

**I rolled as another dodgeball whistled past my ear at the speed of sound.**

_**Whooom!**_

**It hit the wall mat, and Corey Bailer yelped.**

**"Hey!" I yelled at Sloan's team. "You could kill somebody!"**

"I think that's the general idea, Percy," Poseidon couldn't help but say. He couldn't explain why, exactly, he wasn't as -well- terrified as beforehand. But he had a feeling it had something to do with hearing his son kick the crap out of Ares. Whether the war god would've won eventually is irrelevant, the kid put up a hell of a fight and he wouldn't be taken down by six killers.

**The visitor named Joe Bob grinned at me evilly. Somehow, he looked a lot bigger now ... even taller than Tyson. His biceps bulged beneath his T-shirt. "I hope so, Perseus Jackson! I hope so!"**

"Well, if there was any doubt before..." Leo trailed off with a shake of his head.

**The way he said my name sent a chill down my back. Nobody called me Perseus except those who knew my true identity.**

"What, is he Superman?" Apollo chuckled.

"Sally doesn't write Percy's full name on any important documents." Annabeth told him, "the only one that has it is his birth certificate. No one at the school should know that his name is Perseus Jackson."

"Still a touch over dramatic," Apollo pointed out with a laugh.

**Friends ... and enemies.**

**What had Tyson said? _They smell funny._**

**Monsters.**

"Well, he got there eventually," Dionysus scoffed into his pop.

**All around Matt Sloan, the visitors were growing in size. They were no longer kids. They were eight-foot-tall giants with wild eyes, pointy teeth, and hairy arms tattooed with snakes and hula women and Valentine hearts.**

"Sounds like the Laistrygonians," Athena said with a frown. "They will not be easy to defeat on his own; even with a friend like Tyson."

"Do you know what he is, then?" Apollo asked her.

"I have a fair idea."

**Matt Sloan dropped his ball. "Whoa! You're not from Detroit!**

"Oh, well spotted," Hermes chortled.

**Who …"**

**The other kids on his team started screaming and backing toward the exit, but the giant named Marrow Sucker threw a ball with deadly accuracy. It streaked past Raj Mandali just as he was about to leave and hit the door, slamming it shut like magic.**

"I don't think that's magic," Thalia remarked simply, "I'm pretty sure that it's just pure force."

"And Percy got _hit_ by that?" Piper asked skeptically. "Without having his insides getting pushed out his back?"

"Graphic, Pipes," Jason looked amused.

"Well," she shrugged.

"By monster logic; what's the point in killing a hero without gloating about it first?" Thalia pointed out.

Annabeth shook her head with a wry smile. "If I ever become evil, that's going to be my number one rule. Kill first, gloat after."

"Ah, but that's no fun," Leo laughed.

**Raj and some of the other kids banged on it desperately but it wouldn't budge.**

**"Let them go!" I yelled at the giants.**

Ares snorted.

**The one called Joe Bob growled at me. He had a tattoo on his biceps that said_: JB luvs Babycakes. "_And lose our tasty morsels? No, Son of the Sea God.**

"Okay, question," Thalia said, "why is it, that whenever someone refers to a child of Zeus or Hades, they will say, 'child of Zeus' or 'child of Hades'. But in reference to a child of Poseidon, they'll say 'child of the Sea God'?"

"Because 'child of the Death God' and 'child of the Sky God' don't sound as good," Poseidon replied with a chuckle.

Thalia cocked her head in thought before nodding. "Ah, good point."

**We Laistrygonians aren't just playing for your death. We want lunch!"**

**He waved his hand and a new batch of dodgeballs appeared on the centre line—but these balls weren't made of red rubber. They were bronze, the size of cannon balls, perforated like riffle balls with fire bubbling out the holes.**

"Balls of fire," Leo commented, "that's a new one."

**They must've been searing hot, but the giants picked them up with their bare hands.**

**"Coach!" I yelled.**

"And what's a human going to do, kid?" Apollo chuckled with a shake of the head. "Scream at them?"

**Nunley looked up sleepily, but if he saw anything abnormal about the dodgeball game, he didn't let on. That's the problem with mortals.**

"With _some_ mortals," Annabeth corrected, "Sally Jackson and- _others_ can see through the Mist as well."

**A magical force called the Mist obscures the true appearance of monsters and gods from their vision, so mortals tend to see only what they can understand.**

"You just knew what he was going to say, hmm?" Aphrodite giggled, "how cute."

**Maybe the coach saw a few eighth graders pounding the younger kids like usual. Maybe the other kids saw Matt Sloan's thugs getting ready to toss Molotov cock tails around. (It wouldn't have been the first time.)**

"How delightful," Hera scoffed.

**At any rate, I was pretty sure nobody else realized we were dealing with genuine man-eating bloodthirsty monsters.**

"Except for Tyson," Annabeth muttered, "he knew before you did."

**"Yeah. Mm-hmm," Coach muttered. "Play nice."**

**And he went back to his magazine.**

**The giant named Skull Eater threw his ball. I dove aside as the fiery bronze comet sailed past my shoulder.**

Poseidon grimaced.

**"Corey!" I screamed.**

**Tyson pulled him out from behind the exercise mat just as the ball exploded against it, blasting the mat to smoking shreds.**

"At least the boy was saved," Hestia murmured quietly, her eyes worried for the innocents.

**"Run!" I told my teammates. "The other exit!"**

**They ran for the locker room, but with another wave of Joe Bob's hand, that door also slammed shut.**

**"No one leaves unless you're out!" Joe Bob roared. "And you're not out until we eat you!"**

"Er... in that case, I'm pretty sure you'll still be _in_."

"Ew! Leo!"

"What? It's true!"

**He launched his own fireball. My teammates scattered as it blasted a crater in the gym floor.**

**I reached for Riptide, which I always kept in my pocket, but then I realized I was wearing gym shorts. I _had _no pockets.**

"...crap," Jason winced. "That's going to make things a _touch_ more difficult."

"If he can get to water, he'll be fine," Piper pointed out. "Or... he could somehow get to Riptide. Plus, Tyson's a monster, isn't he? It's likely that he'll be able to help."

"All excellent points," Jason nodded in agreement.

**Riptide was tucked in my jeans inside my gym locker. And the locker room door was sealed. I was completely defenceless.**

"With that attitude? Hell yeah, you are," Ares snorted.

**Another fireball came streaking toward me. Tyson pushed me out of the way, but the explosion still blew me head over heels. I found myself sprawled on the gym floor, dazed from smoke, my tie-dyed T-shirt peppered with sizzling holes.**

"So _that's_ where Percy got those burn marks from," Thalia whistled. "Damn."

"You've seen him shirtless?" Aphrodite asked, her head whipping about. Zeus scowled darkly and his eyes shot towards his daughter.

"He's the son of Poseidon," Thalia replied, cocking a brow, "he's typically swimming in the water like a normal kid on his days off from helping the other Senior Counsellors run the camp."

"Senior Counsellors run the camp?" Leo asked, blinking slightly.

"Of course," Annabeth replied simply, "we're the ones who run all of the activities. Our seconds, the ones who will take on the mantle if we're killed or leave, are the ones who guide the kids around for their typical activities during the day."

"Why do you not know of this, lad?" Hephaestus rumbled, a deep frown on his face.

Leo shrugged. "Been working on the _Argo II_."

"Don't, Hephaestus," Apollo warned. "We can't know anything beyond."

Hephaestus' frown didn't ease, but he nodded obligingly.

"In any case," Annabeth continued, "Leo's a Senior Counsellor himself. He doesn't actually _need_ to do anything unless required. And he's otherwise indisposed."

"So... what do you run?" Leo asked after a beat.

Annabeth smiled. "I normally run the Ancient Greek lessons, of course. Or anything related to the history of Ancient Greece and the Gods."

"And Percy?"

"Canoeing and swimming. Water stuff, mostly. Though with the issues in Cabin Nine before you showed up, he ran the climbing wall."

"Personal fire-extinguisher," Thalia told them, snickering faintly. "It's not funny, really. As Cabin Nine couldn't fix the wall and Mr. D refused to let the wall be put out of commission for anything longer than a day; Percy was the one set-up to make sure no one was set on fire... well, more than usual, I mean."

**Just across the centre line, two hungry giants were glaring down at me.**

**"Flesh!" they bellowed. "Hero flesh for lunch!" They both took aim.**

**"Percy needs help!" Tyson yelled, and he jumped in front of me just as they threw their balls.**

"Damn," Apollo said, wincing faintly. "Poor guy. That's going to hurt like a sonuvabitch."

**"Tyson!" I screamed, but it was too late.**

**Both balls slammed into him ... but no ... he'd caught them. Somehow Tyson, who was so clumsy he knocked over lab equipment and broke playground structures on a regular basis, had caught two fiery metal balls speeding toward him at a zillion miles an hour.**

"I don't even think I can move that fast," Hermes remarked, looking amused. "What do you reckon this kid is?"

"Who knows," Apollo shrugged, "after all I've read, I'm not even going to bother speculating. Cyclops, maybe. We'll find out."

**He sent them hurtling back toward their surprised owners, who screamed, "BAAAAAD!" as the bronze spheres exploded against their chests.**

**The giants disintegrated in twin columns of flame—a sure sign they were monsters, all right. Monsters don't die. They just dissipate into smoke and dust, which saves heroes a lot of trouble cleaning up after a fight.**

"Amen to that," Jason snorted. "Getting bloody -specifically, cleaning up that blood- is not fun."

**"My brothers!" Joe Bob the Cannibal wailed. He flexed his muscles and his _Babycakes _tattoo rippled. "You will pay for their destruction!"**

**"Tyson!" I said. "Look out!"**

**Another comet hurtled toward us. Tyson just had time to swat it aside. It flew straight over Coach Nunley's head and landed in the bleachers with a huge KA-BOOM!**

"And he still didn't look up from his magazine?" Leo chuckled. "This guy must be tripping out on something to be that bloody oblivious."

"Wouldn't put it past a boot-camp hippie school," Piper grinned.

**Kids were running around screaming, trying to avoid the sizzling craters in the floor. Others were banging on the door, calling for help. Sloan himself stood petrified in the middle of the court, watching in disbelief as balls of death flew around him.**

"Idiot," Ares scoffed.

"No, just close-minded," Aphrodite huffed, "I hate people like that. They always attempt to ruin some of my most beautiful love stories... Then again, a good love story isn't wondrous without a good fight for it."

"And that, babe, is why I'm sitting here," Ares grinned, his hand sliding to her waist to squeeze her hip suggestively. Aphrodite giggled in reply.

**Coach Nunley still wasn't seeing anything. He tapped his hearing aid like the explosions were giving him interference, but he kept his eyes on his magazine.**

**Surely the whole school could hear the noise. The headmaster, the police, somebody would come help us.**

"Again: what could they do?" Apollo reiterated.

**"Victory will be ours!" roared Joe Bob the Cannibal. "We will feast on your bones!"**

**I wanted to tell him he was taking the dodgeball game way too seriously,**

A few snorts at Percy's sarcasm rang out.

**but before I could, he hefted another ball. The other three giants followed his lead.**

**I knew we were dead. Tyson couldn't deflect all those balls at once. His hands _had _to be seriously burned from blocking the first volley. Without my sword ...**

**I had a crazy idea.**

"Which means it's going to work," Annabeth chuckled, rolling her eyes skyward, "that just how it works around Percy."

**I ran toward the locker room.**

Athena's eyebrows raised.

**"Move!" I told my teammates. "Away from the door."**

**Explosions behind me. Tyson had batted two of the balls back toward their owners and blasted them to ashes.**

**That left two giants still standing.**

Artemis cocked a brow, wondering how this would pan out.

**A third ball hurtled straight at me. I forced myself to wait—one Mississippi, two Mississippi—then dove aside as the fiery sphere demolished the locker room door.**

Poseidon exhaled slowly, looking a touch irate.

**Now, I figured that the built-up gas in most boys' locker rooms was enough to cause an explosion, so I wasn't surprised when the flaming dodgeball ignited a huge _WHOOOOOOOM!_**

"Okay," Thalia's nose wrinkled, "that's gross."

**The wall blew apart. Locker doors, socks, athletic supporters, and other various nasty personal belongings rained all over the gym.**

"But that's worse," Piper cringed.

**I turned just in time to see Tyson punch Skull Eater in the face. The giant crumpled. But the last giant, Joe Bob, had wisely held on to his own ball, waiting for an opportunity. He threw just as Tyson was turning to face him.**

Apollo hissed in sympathy.

**"No!" I yelled.**

**The ball caught Tyson square in the chest. He slid the length of the court and slammed into the back wall, which cracked and partially crumbled on top of him, making a hole right onto Church Street.**

"Last day of school, he said," Hermes snorted, "made it through the entire year, he said."

**I didn't see how Tyson could still be alive, but he only looked dazed. The bronze ball was smoking at his feet. Tyson tried to pick it up, but he fell back, stunned, into a pile of cinder blocks.**

"Damn," Jason said, grimacing.

**"Well!" Joe Bob gloated. "I'm the last one standing! I'll have enough meat to bring Babycakes a doggie bag!"**

"Gross," Leo muttered.

**He picked up another ball and aimed it at Tyson.**

**"Stop!" I yelled. "It's me you want!"**

Poseidon's brow furrowed and he shook his head.

**The giant grinned. "You wish to die first, young hero?"**

**I had to do something. Riptide had to be around here somewhere.**

**Then I spotted my jeans in a smoking heap of clothes right by the giant's feet. If I could only get there... I knew it was hopeless, but I charged.**

"Brave," Hestia remarked quietly, listening intently.

**The giant laughed. "My lunch approaches." He raised his arm to throw. I braced myself to die.**

**Suddenly the giant's body went rigid. His expression changed from gloating to surprise. Right where his belly button should've been, his T-shirt ripped open and he grew something like a horn—no, not a horn—the glowing tip of a blade.**

"...the figure in the window," Athena said after a brief moment of surprise, "twas friendly, it seems."

"You could say that," Thalia remarked dryly, glancing at Annabeth.

**The ball dropped out of his hand. The monster stared down at the knife that had just run him through from behind.**

**He muttered, "Ow," and burst into a cloud of green flame, which I figured was going to make Babycakes pretty upset.**

A number of people chuckled at that.

**Standing in the smoke was my friend Annabeth.**

Athena blinked in surprise, a look of thoughtfulness crossed her face followed by a brief glimpse of sorrow before she nodded in understanding.

**Her face was grimy and scratched. She had a ragged backpack slung over her shoulder, her baseball cap tucked in her pocket, a bronze knife in her hand, and a wild look in her storm-grey eyes, like she'd just been chased a thousand miles by ghosts.**

"You ran away again," Athena remarked, her voice quiet.

Annabeth looked away, her blonde hair shrouding her face.

**Matt Sloan, who'd been standing there dumbfounded the whole time, finally came to his senses. He blinked at Annabeth, as if he dimly recognized her from my notebook picture. "That's the girl ... That's the girl—"**

"Yeah, that's the girl," Aphrodite remarked offhandedly; Annabeth flushed at the undertone in Aphrodite's voice.

**Annabeth punched him in the nose and knocked him flat.**

**"And _you,"_she told him, "lay off my friend."**

The room chuckled again.

**The gym was in flames. Kids were still running around screaming. I heard sirens wailing and a garbled voice over the intercom. Through the glass windows of the exit doors, I could see the headmaster, Mr. Bonsai, wrestling with the lock, a crowd of teachers piling up behind him.**

"In terms of this party," Dionysus said, "it wasn't fashionable to arrive late."

"Percy's going to get blamed for this," Leo remarked, "sucks."

**"Annabeth ..." I stammered. "How did you ... how long have you ..."**

**"Pretty much all morning." She sheathed her bronze knife. "I've been trying to find a good time to talk to you, but you were never alone."**

**"The shadow I saw this morning—that was—" My face felt hot. "Oh my gods, you were looking in my bed room window?"**

Annabeth groaned as the others snickered at her; Aphrodite just smiled lewdly as Athena pinched the bridge of her nose and Poseidon's eyebrows raised.

**"There's no time to explain!" she snapped, though she looked a little red-faced herself. "I just didn't want to—"**

**"There!" a woman screamed. The doors burst open and the adults came pouring in.**

"Bloody adults," Leo snorted.

**"Meet me outside," Annabeth told me. "And him." She pointed to Tyson, who was still sitting dazed against the wall. Annabeth gave him a look of distaste that I didn't quite understand.**

Annabeth winced.

**"You'd better bring him."**

_**"What?"**_

**"No time!" she said. "Hurry!"**

**She put on her Yankees baseball cap, which was a magic gift from her mom, and instantly vanished.**

**That left me standing alone in the middle of the burning gymnasium when the headmaster came charging in with half the faculty and a couple of police officers.**

"Yeah, you ought to do as she says right about now," Apollo commented.

**"Percy Jackson?" Mr. Bonsai said. "What ... how ..."**

**Over by the broken wall, Tyson groaned and stood up from the pile of cinder blocks. "Head hurts."**

**Matt Sloan was coming around, too. He focused on me with a look of terror. "Percy did it, Mr. Bonsai! He set the whole building on fire.**

"Note to the world: the whole building is now a gymnasium," Hermes snorted.

**Coach Nunley will tell you! He saw it all!"**

**Coach Nunley had been dutifully reading his magazine, but just my luck—he chose that moment to look up when Sloan said his name. "Eh? Yeah. Mm-hmm."**

The room scoffed.

**The other adults turned toward me. I knew they would never believe me, even if I could tell them the truth.**

**I grabbed Riptide out of my ruined jeans, told Tyson, "Come on!" and jumped through the gaping hole in the side of the building.**

"Chapter's done," Dionysus said carelessly.

"Then it is my turn," Hera replied primly. "Chapter three: We Hail the Taxi of Eternal Torment."

* * *

I know, I know, I'm a day late. But I didn't know that we were going to be visiting my Aunt's house until after I posted my last chapter.

What to say about this chapter... Not much, really, except that I liked it.

Hope you did too.

~LastTruth


	29. Chapter 29

**We Hail the Taxi of Eternal Torment**

Hermes groaned. "I hate that bloody ride. _Everyone_ hates that bloody ride. But do they stop using it? Not in the slightest! And then they bitch to me about it, because I'm the god of travellers and supposed to help them. Stupid thing."

"Ranting, brother?" Apollo asked innocently.

"Go jump off a cliff."

**Annabeth was waiting for us in an alley down Church Street. She pulled Tyson and me off the sidewalk just as a fire truck screamed past, heading for Meriwether Prep.**

"Little late," Leo snorted.

**"Where'd you find _him_?" she demanded, pointing at Tyson.**

**Now, under different circumstances, I would've been really happy to see her. We'd made our peace last summer, despite the fact that her mom was Athena and didn't get along with my dad.**

"Reminds me of Romeo and Juliet," Aphrodite sighed blissfully. "They felt destined to pick up their parents battle, but refused. How beautiful!"

"Isn't Romeo and Juliet a three-day love story between a thirteen year old and a seventeen year old that ended with six people dead?" Thalia asked flatly, cocking a brow.

Aphrodite shot her an irritated look. "I forgot you were a huntress. No appreciation for love."

**I'd missed Annabeth probably more than I wanted to admit.**

Annabeth hid her pleased smile by reaching over to pour herself another cup of coffee.

**But I'd just been attacked by cannibal giants, Tyson had saved my life three or four times, and all Annabeth could do was glare at him like _he _was the problem.**

Annabeth winced and Thalia gave her a sympathetic look.

**"He's my friend," I told her.**

**"Is he homeless?"**

**"What does that have to do with anything? He can hear you, you know. Why don't you ask him?"**

**She looked surprised. "He can talk?"**

"Alright," Jason said slowly, "you're being more than a touch hostile."

"I'd had bad experiences with his kind before," Annabeth admitted, "I... coloured Tyson with the same brush. It was wrong, I know that now, but..." She trailed off with a shrug.

**"I talk," Tyson admitted. "You are pretty."**

**"Ah! Gross!" Annabeth stepped away from him.**

**I couldn't believe she was being so rude.**

"Yeah, neither can I," Annabeth mumbled.

**I examined Tyson's hands, which I was sure must've been badly scorched by the flaming dodge balls, but they looked fine—grimy and scarred, with dirty fingernails the size of potato chips—but they always looked like that. "Tyson," I said in disbelief. "Your hands aren't even burned."**

"He's still a little slow on the uptake, isn't he?" Dionysus scoffed.

"I like the kid, no doubt," Apollo remarked, "but he is a little oblivious. Probably because every monster he's ever faced has just tried to kill him; thus, in his head, Tyson can't be a monster, because Tyson's only ever helped him."

"Why, twin," Artemis said with mock-surprise, "it's surprising that you were able to put that all together!"

"I know," Apollo said, wiping away a fake tear, "Mama's gonna be so proud!"

Artemis scoffed and shoved him.

**"Of course not," Annabeth muttered. "I'm surprised the Laistrygonians had the guts to attack you with him around."**

**Tyson seemed fascinated by Annabeth's blond hair. He tried to touch it, but she smacked his hand away.**

"Alright, in all fairness," Piper commented, "I barely let my closest friends touch my hair, let alone a stranger."

**"Annabeth," I said, "what are you talking about? Laistry-what?"**

**"Laistrygonians. The monsters in the gym. They're a race of giant cannibals who live in the far north. Odysseus ran into them once,**

Athena smiled faintly.

**but I've never seen them as far south as New York before."**

**"Laistry—I can't even say that. What would you call them in English?"**

**She thought about it for a moment. "Canadians,"**

The room chuckled.

**she decided. "Now come on, we have to get out of here."**

**"The police'll be after me."**

**"That's the least of our problems,"**

"Oh, cheery."

**she said. "Have you been having the dreams?"**

**"The dreams ... about Grover?"**

**Her face turned pale. "Grover? No, what about Grover?"**

"And now it's all compounding," Dionysus scoffed. "Just lovely."

**I told her my dream. "Why? What were _you _dreaming about?"**

**Her eyes looked stormy, like her mind was racing a million miles an hour. "Camp," she said at last. "Big trouble at camp."**

The gods, particularly the ones with children at camp, looked concerned.

**"My mom was saying the same thing! But what _kind _of trouble?"**

**"I don't know exactly. Something's wrong. We have to get there right away. Monsters have been chasing me all the way from Virginia, trying to stop me.**

Athena exhaled forcefully, a frown deepening in her brow.

**Have you had a lot of attacks?"**

**I shook my head. "None all year ... until today."**

**"None? But how ..." Her eyes drifted to Tyson. "Oh."**

"Yes, 'oh'," Thalia chuckled.

**"What do you mean, 'oh'?"**

**Tyson raised his hand like he was still in class. "Canadians in the gym called Percy something ... Son of the Sea God?"**

Poseidon quirked a brow.

**Annabeth and I exchanged looks. I didn't know how I could explain, but I figured Tyson deserved the truth after almost getting killed.**

Hestia smiled at the display of loyalty... and trust.

**"Big guy," I said, "you ever hear those old stories about the Greek gods? Like Zeus, Poseidon, Athena—"**

**"Yes," Tyson said.**

**"Well ... those gods are still alive. They kind of follow Western Civilization around, living in the strongest countries_, _so like now they're in the U.S. And sometimes they have kids with mortals. Kids called half-bloods."**

"I love Percy's ability to surmise everything," Leo chortled. "He just makes it sounds so... simple, doesn't he?"

**"Yes," Tyson said, like he was still waiting for me to get to the point.**

**"Uh, well, Annabeth and I are half-bloods," I said. "We're like ... heroes-in-training. And whenever monsters pick up our scent, they attack us.**

"Which means all the freaking time if you're a child of the Big Three," Thalia muttered.

**That's what those giants were in the gym. Monsters."**

**"Yes."**

**I stared at him. He didn't seem surprised or confused by what I was telling him, which surprised and confused me.**

A couple of people chuckled.

**"So ... you believe me?"**

**Tyson nodded. "But you are ... Son of the Sea God?"**

**"Yeah," I admitted. "My dad is Poseidon."**

Poseidon's mouth quirked.

**Tyson frowned. _Now_ he looked confused. "But then …"**

**A siren wailed. A police car raced past our alley.**

**"We don't have time for this," Annabeth said. "We'll talk in the taxi."**

**"A taxi all the way to camp?" I said. "You know how much money—"**

**"Trust me."**

"When you're suggesting _that cab_," Hermes snorted, folding his arms across his chest, "no one should trust you."

Apollo flicked him in the ear. "Stop sulking."

"Says the king of sulk."

"Shut up."

**I hesitated. "What about Tyson?"**

**I imagined escorting my giant friend into Camp Half-Blood. If he freaked out on a regular playground with regular bullies, how would he act at a training camp for demigods?**

"Perfectly normal?" Leo suggested.

"Demigods aren't normal," Piper pointed out.

"Perhaps not by humans standards. But by _demigod_ standards, they are."

"Touché."

**On the other hand, the cops would be looking for us.**

**"We can't just leave him," I decided. "He'll be in trouble, too." _*_**

**"Yeah." Annabeth looked grim. "We definitely need to take him. Now come on."**

**I didn't like the way she said that, as if Tyson were a big disease we needed to get to the hospital,**

Annabeth flinched, tugging on her hair.

**but I followed her down the alley. Together the three of us sneaked through the side streets of downtown while a huge column of smoke billowed up behind us from my school gymnasium.**

**"Here." Annabeth stopped us on the corner of Thomas and Trimble. She fished around in her backpack. "I hope I have one left."**

**She looked even worse than I'd realized at first. Her chin was cut. Twigs and grass were tangled in her ponytail, as if she'd slept several nights in the open. The slashes on the hems of her jeans looked suspiciously like claw marks.**

"Oh yes, at that point I was pretty beat up," Annabeth sighed, shaking her head. "Life of a demigod on the run, I guess."

"Do you think... that some demigods -the children of minor gods, I mean- do you think that some of them never get found?" Piper asked, her tone dubious despite her question. "I mean, we're the children of the major gods, right? So we're obviously bigger and easier targets -in that, we're found easier... but the children of, say, Veritas or Nemesis... isn't it possible for one of them to slip under the radar?"

"It happens rarely, but it does happen, dove," Aphrodite responded, tugging a beautiful silver brush through her hair. "They don't live as long however. Very few of those demigods ignorant of their true heritage live past the age of thirty."

**"What are you looking for?" I asked.**

**All around us, sirens wailed. I figured it wouldn't be long before more cops cruised by, looking for juvenile delinquent gym-bombers. No doubt Matt Sloan had given them a statement by now. He'd probably twisted the story around so that Tyson and I were the bloodthirsty cannibals.**

"I wouldn't be surprised," Jason snorted.

**"Found one. Thank the gods." Annabeth pulled out a gold coin that I recognized as a drachma, the currency of Mount Olympus. It had Zeus's likeness stamped on one side and the Empire State Building on the other.**

**"Annabeth," I said, "New York taxi drivers won't take that."**

**"_Stêthi_," she shouted in Ancient Greek. _"Ô hárma diabolês!"_**

**As usual, the moment she spoke in the language of Olympus,**

Jason grumbled something about Greeks versus Romans, but otherwise didn't say anything.

**I somehow understood it. She'd said: _Stop, Chariot of Damnation!_**

**That didn't exactly make me feel real excited about whatever her plan was.**

Hermes huffed as Apollo sniggered at him.

**She threw her coin into the street, but instead of clattering on the asphalt, the drachma sank right through and disappeared.**

**For a moment, nothing happened.**

"There's always a bit of a delay," Apollo shrugged, "they're good, not perfect."

"Nothing's perfect," Jason replied.

**Then, just where the coin had fallen, the asphalt darkened. It melted into a rectangular pool about the size of a parking space—bubbling red liquid like blood. Then a car erupted from the ooze.**

"Okay, that's a little gross," Leo said, pointing at the book with his screwdriver. "And more than a little creepy, might I add."

**It was a taxi, all right, but unlike every other taxi in New York, it wasn't yellow. It was smoky grey. I mean it looked like it was _woven _out of smoke, like you could walk right through it. There were words printed on the door—something like GYAR SSIRES—but my dyslexia made it hard for me to decipher what it said.**

"Where's the 't'?" Apollo asked, cocking a brow.

"On the coffee table."

"No, not the drink tea, I meant the _letter_ t." Apollo said, rolling his eyes. "I mean, really, Artemis. You'd think you'd be smarter than that."

Artemis scowled at him, making him snigger.

**The passenger window rolled down, and an old woman stuck her head out. She had a mop of grizzled hair covering her eyes, and she spoke in a weird mumbling way, like she'd just had a shot of Novocain. **

"Well, that about sums them up," Hermes muttered, looking disgruntled.

**"Passage? Passage?"**

**"Three to Camp Half-Blood," Annabeth said. She opened the cab's back door and waved at me to get in, like this was all completely normal.**

"You just played dodgeball with cannibals and cannonballs, this is about as normal as you're going to get," Jason chuckled.

**"Ach!" the old woman screeched. "We don't take _his _kind!"**

**She pointed a bony finger at Tyson.**

**What was it? Pick-on-Big-and-Ugly-Kids Day?**

"I'm pretty sure he's just being sarcastic but ouch, low blow," Leo remarked.

**"Extra pay," Annabeth promised. "Three more drachma on arrival."**

**"Done!" the woman screamed.**

**Reluctantly I got in the cab. Tyson squeezed in the middle. Annabeth crawled in last.**

"I don't think Tyson was the one who got squeezed," Annabeth grumbled, shaking her head.

**The interior was also smoky grey, but it felt solid enough. The seat was cracked and lumpy—no different than most taxis. There was no Plexiglas screen separating us from the old lady driving ... Wait a minute. There wasn't just one old lady. There were three,**

"Well duh," Apollo chuckled cheerily.

**all crammed in the front seat, each with stringy hair covering her eyes, bony hands, and a charcoal-coloured sackcloth dress.**

**The one driving said, "Long Island! Out-of-metro fare bonus! Ha!"**

**She floored the accelerator, and my head slammed against the backrest. A prerecorded voice came on over the speaker: _Hi, this is Ganymede,_**

Hera's eyes snapped to her husband, a dark look on her face at the reminder. Zeus ignored her.

**_cup-bearer to Zeus, and when I'm out buying wine for the Lord of the Skies, I always buckle up! _I looked down and found a large black chain instead of a seat belt. I decided I wasn't that desperate ... yet.**

"Do you know, I think I blame you for this," Hermes said, glaring at Apollo. "Everyone always bitches to me about that bloody taxi cab, telling me that as I'm the god of travellers, I ought to be looking after these types of things. When really, it's _your_ bloody fault because they're _your_ bloody fates."

Apollo sniggered at him.

**The cab sped around the corner of West Broadway, and the grey lady sitting in the middle screeched, "Look out! Go left!"**

"This does not sound particularly safe," Piper murmured.

**"Well, _if _you'd give me the eye, Tempest, I could _see _that!" the driver complained.**

**Wait a minute. _Give her the eye?_**

"Do keep up, sea brain," Thalia snorted, grinning faintly.

**I didn't have time to ask questions because the driver swerved to avoid an oncoming deliverytruck, ran over the curb with a jaw-rattling _thump, _and flew into the next block.**

**"Wasp!" the third lady said to the driver. "Give me the girl's coin! I want to bite it."**

**"You bit it last time, Anger!" said the driver, whose name must've been Wasp. "It's my turn!"**

**"Is not!" yelled the one called Anger.**

"Are they always like that?" Piper asked, blinking in surprise.

"Yes," Apollo cackled.

**The middle one, Tempest, screamed, "Red light!"**

**"Brake!" yelled Anger.**

**Instead, Wasp floored the accelerator and rode up on the curb, screeching around another corner, and knocking over a newspaper box. She left my stomach somewhere back on Broome Street.**

"Might need that," Leo snickered.

**"Excuse me," I said. "But ... can you see?"**

**"No!" screamed Wasp from behind the wheel.**

**"No!" screamed Tempest from the middle.**

**"Of course!" screamed Anger by the shotgun window.**

"A lot of screaming going on," Jason snorted. "If they keep that up, everyone'll be deaf and blind."

"They're not totally blind," Thalia snorted.

"Minor detail," shrugged Jason.

**I looked at Annabeth. "They're blind?"**

**"Not completely," Annabeth said. "They have an eye."**

**"One eye?"**

**"Yeah."**

**"Each?"**

**"No. One eye total."**

"See?" Thalia said, giving her brother a dry look.

**Next to me, Tyson groaned and grabbed the seat. "Not feeling so good."**

**"Oh, man," I said, because I'd seen Tyson get carsick on school field trips and it was _not _something you wanted to be within fifty feet of. "Hang in there, big guy. Anybody got a garbage bag or something?"**

**The three grey ladies were too busy squabbling to pay me any attention. I looked over at Annabeth, who was hanging on for dear life, and I gave her a _why-did-you-do-this-to-me _look.**

"It translated pretty well too," Annabeth snorted.

"Does Percy have expressive eyes, Annabeth?" Aphrodite suddenly cooed, fluttering her lashes. "Are his eyes like the ocean? So beautiful that you just wish to... fall in?"

"Oh yeah, terribly like the ocean," Annabeth replied flatly. "So much so that I'm coughing up water."

"Oh, I doubt that," Aphrodite replied, "I'm certain that Percy will be able to... protect you."

"Aphrodite!" Athena snapped. "For the last time, stop suggesting that there is a relationship between my daughter and Poseidon's son."

"No," Aphrodite giggled.

Athena scowled.

**"Hey," she said, "Gray Sisters Taxi is the fastest way to camp."**

**"Then why didn't you take it from Virginia?"**

**"That's outside their service area," she said, like that should be obvious. "They only serve Greater New York and surrounding communities."**

"Closest to Olympus," Dionysus rolled his eyes, "duh."

**"We've had famous people in this cab!" Anger exclaimed. "Jason!**

The namesake of said hero jerked slightly.

**You remember him?"**

**"Don't remind me!" Wasp wailed. "And we didn't have a cab back then, you old bat. That was three thousand years ago!"**

"Eh, it was the same basic principle," Apollo snorted.

**"Give me the tooth!" Anger tried to grab at Wasp's mouth, but Wasp swatted her hand away.**

**"Only if Tempest gives me the eye!"**

**"No!" Tempest screeched. "You had it yesterday!"**

**"But I'm driving, you old hag!"**

**"Excuses! Turn! That was your turn!"**

"Man, this is like a car crash waiting to happen," Leo muttered.

**Wasp swerved hard onto Delancey Street, squishing me between Tyson and the door. She punched the gas and we shot up the Williamsburg Bridge at seventy miles an hour.**

**The three sisters were fighting for real now, slapping each other as Anger tried to grab at Wasp's face and Wasp tried to grab at Tempest's. With their hair flying and their mouths open, screaming at each other, I realized that none of the sisters had any teeth except for Wasp, who had one mossy yellow incisor. Instead of eyes, they just had closed, sunken eyelids, except for Anger, who had one bloodshot green eye that stared at everything hungrily, as if it couldn't get enough of anything it saw.**

"Sexy aren't they?" Apollo snickered.

"Girls need a makeover," Aphrodite half-sang.

**Finally Anger, who had the advantage of sight, managed to yank the tooth out of her sister Wasp's mouth. This made Wasp so mad she swerved toward the edge of the Williamsburg Bridge, yelling, "'Ivit back! 'Ivit back!"**

"They're like... six year olds," Leo said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Gods..."

**Tyson groaned and clutched his stomach.**

**"Uh, if anybody's interested," I said, "We're going to die!"**

"Smart ass," Apollo snorted, grinning somewhat.

**"Don't worry," Annabeth told me, sounding pretty worried. "The Gray Sisters know what they're doing. They're really very wise."**

**This was coming from the daughter of Athena, but I wasn't exactly reassured.**

"Oh, they're incredibly wise," Athena assured, "but that does not mean that they are impeccable drivers. Twould not be the first time someone was killed in their cab."

**We were skimming along the edge of a bridge a hundred and thirty feet above the East River.**

"Well, Percy's would live at least," Piper remarked dryly.

**"Yes, wise!" Anger grinned in the rearview mirror, showing off her newly acquired tooth. "We know things!"**

**"Every street in Manhattan!" Wasp bragged, still hitting her sister. "The capital of Nepal!"**

"I don't think trivia is the definition of wise," Piper laughed quietly, entirely missing Annabeth's huff of remembered annoyance.

**"The location you seek!" Tempest added.**

**Immediately her sisters pummelled her from either side, screaming, "Be quiet! Be quiet! He didn't even ask yet!"**

The gods exchanged looks.

**"What?" I said. "What location? I'm not seeking any—"**

**"Nothing!" Tempest said. "You're right, boy. It's nothing!"**

**"Tell me."**

**"No!" they all screamed.**

"Hasn't he learnt by now?" Jason said, looking amused. "Monsters, gods, fates, whatever... they never answer on the first try."

**"The last time we told, it was horrible!" Tempest said.**

**"Eye tossed in a lake!" Anger agreed.**

**"Years to find it again!" Wasp moaned.**

"Gee, wonder why," Hermes muttered.

**"And speaking of that—give it back!"**

**"No!" yelled Anger.**

**"Eye!" Wasp yelled. "Gimme!"**

**She whacked her sister Anger on the back. There was a sickening _pop _and something flew out of Anger's face.**

"Ew," Aphrodite muttered, her nose wrinkling.

**Anger fumbled for it, trying to catch it, but she only managed to bat it with the back of her hand. The slimy green orb sailed over her shoulder, into the backseat, and straight into my lap.**

**I jumped so hard, my head hit the ceiling and the eyeball rolled away.**

"Talk about rolling your eyes," Leo sniggered.

**"I can't see!" all three sisters yelled.**

**"Give me the eye!" Wasp wailed.**

**"Give her the eye!" Annabeth screamed.**

"Please do, preferably before you crash," Poseidon remarked dryly, not actually sounding all that worried about a car crash.

**"I don't have it!" I said.**

"That's a bit of a problem."

**"There, by your foot," Annabeth said. "Don't step on it! Get it!"**

**"I'm not picking that up!"**

Ares snorted derisively.

**The taxi slammed against the guardrail and skidded along with a horrible grinding noise. The whole car shuddered, billowing grey smoke as if it were about to dissolve from the strain.**

**"Going to be sick!" Tyson warned.**

**"Annabeth," I yelled, "let Tyson use your backpack!"**

**"Are you crazy? Get the eye!"**

"What a relaxing drive," Apollo sighed with mock-blissfulness, "I bet you the god of travellers himself was watchin- ack!"

Hermes had smacked him with a pillow so hard that he toppled over the back of the couch. The Messenger God just gave them all a dry, unrepentant look.

**Wasp yanked the wheel, and the taxi swerved away from the rail. We hurtled down the bridge toward Brooklyn, going faster than any human taxi. The Gray Sisters screeched and pummelled each other and cried out for their eye.**

"Why would they beat up each other if they needed the eye and none of them have it?" Piper asked. "That's kind of... redundant."

"No one ever said that the fates were all there," Apollo replied cheerily. "Knowing the future? That could drive anyone mad."

"Yeah..." Thalia murmured, her eyes far away as she remembered a man with no voice.

"Certainly explains what happened to you, then," Artemis snarked. Apollo just laughed.

**At last I steeled my nerves. I ripped off a chunk of my tie-dyed T-shirt, which was already falling apart from all the burn marks, and used it to pick the eyeball off the floor.**

Ares rolled his eyes.

**"Nice boy!" Anger cried, as if she somehow knew I had her missing peeper. "Give it back!"**

**"Not until you explain," I told her. "What were you talking about, the location I seek?"**

"Just like the original Perseus, isn't he?" Dionysus scoffed.

"Not in the slightest," Hades drawled, "as he's sea spawn."

**"No time!" Tempest cried. "Accelerating!"**

**I looked out the window. Sure enough, trees and cars and whole neighbourhoods were now zipping by in a grey blur. We were already out of Brooklyn, heading through the middle of Long Island.**

"Might want to give back that eye now," Hera remarked.

**"Percy," Annabeth warned, "they can't find our destination without the eye. We'll just keep accelerating until we break into a million pieces."**

"Lovely."

**"First they have to tell me," I said. "Or I'll open the window and throw the eye into oncoming traffic."**

**"No!" the Gray Sisters wailed. "Too dangerous!"**

**"I'm rolling down the window."**

**"Wait!" the Gray Sisters screamed. "30, 31, 75, 12!"**

"Ooh," Dionysus said with mock-surprise, "_numbers_!"

**They belted it out like a quarterback calling a play.**

**"What do you mean?" I said. "That makes no sense!"**

**"30, 31, 75, 12!" Anger wailed. "That's all we can tell you. Now give us the eye! Almost to camp!"**

"Might want to listen to them, little cousin," Apollo warned in a hum.

**We were off the highway now, zipping through the countryside of northern Long Island. I could see Half-Blood Hill ahead of us, with its giant pine tree at the crest—Thalia's tree, which contained the life force of a fallen hero.**

Thalia grimaced at the description.

**"Percy!" Annabeth said more urgently. "Give them the eye now!"**

**I decided not to argue. I threw the eye into Wasp's lap.**

**The old lady snatched it up, pushed it into her eye socket like somebody putting in a contact lens, and blinked. "Whoa!"**

The room snorted.

**She slammed on the brakes. The taxi spun four or five times in a cloud of smoke and squealed to a halt in the middle of the farm road at the base of Half-Blood Hill.**

**Tyson let loose a huge belch. "Better now."**

A few people snickered as a few more looked disgusted.

**"All right," I told the Gray Sisters. "Now tell me what those numbers mean."**

**"No time!" Annabeth opened her door. "We have to get out _now."_**

**I was about to ask why, when I looked up at Half-Blood Hill and understood.**

**At the crest of the hill was a group of campers. And they were under attack.**

The gods exchanged looks.

"Next?" Hera asked loftily.

"On it," Apollo replied, taking the book. "Chapter four: Tyson Plays with Fire."

* * *

There was actually very little to comment on in this chapter. But still, it was fun.

Also, I just finished watching every episode from all eight seasons of Supernatural and I just have to say:

I ship Destiel and I regret nothing. :D

Expect the next chapter on Wednesday.

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	30. Chapter 30

**Tyson Plays with Fire**

"...well, alright then," Apollo chuckled.

**Mythologically speaking, if there's anything I hate worse than trios of old ladies, it's bulls.**

"One problem with that statement," Athena commented, "this is history. Not merely mythology."

"It's just a way to differentiate, Mother," Annabeth said, "so that we know he's speaking about the Greek gods, not just... history in general."

**Last summer, I fought the Minotaur on top of Half-Blood Hill. This time what I saw up there was even worse: two bulls. And not just regular bulls—bronze ones the size of elephants. And even _that _wasn't bad enough. Naturally they had to breathe fire, too.**

"Well, naturally," Leo snickered. "Sounds like those torture bulls from the Middle Ages... what were they called?"

"The Brazen Bull, the Bronze Bull or the Sicilian Bull," Ares replied with a dark chuckle, "all's fair in love and war, after all."

"Is that why you two are still together?" Apollo snorted, nodding towards him and Aphrodite.

Ares sneered at him and tugged his girlfriend closer. "Fuck off."

"The Brazen Bull?" Piper questioned, her head tilting.

"Yeah," Ares replied roughly, "the idea was that it was made totally out of bronze but hollow on the inside. You stuff the unlucky sucker in and light a fire underneath them."

"I just can't get over the fact that it's called the Sicilian Bull," Leo snickered. "I guess it's true; you should never argue with a Sicilian when death is on the line."

"Isn't this the point where you keel over and die?" Jason snorted, pushing him jokingly.

**As soon as we exited the taxi, the Gray Sisters peeled out, heading back to New York, where life was safer. They didn't even wait for their extra three-drachma payment.**

"I wouldn't either if I almost lost my most prized possession," Thalia remarked.

**They just left us on the side of the road, Annabeth with nothing but her backpack and knife, Tyson and me still in our burned-up tie-dyed gym clothes.**

"That must've sucked," Leo sniggered.

**"Oh, man," said Annabeth, looking at the battle raging on the hill.**

**What worried me most weren't the bulls themselves. Or the ten heroes in full battle armour who were getting their bronze-plated booties whooped.**

Their was only a huff of laughter following this; most were more concerned with why this was happening.

**What worried me was that the bulls were ranging all over the hill, even around the back side of the pine tree.**

Zeus sat up straight, ignoring his wife's look in favour of eyeing his daughter.

**That shouldn't have been possible. The camp's magic boundaries didn't allow monsters to cross past Thalia's tree.**

"Technically aren't _you_ the tree?" Leo asked. "So... shouldn't he just be saying that it didn't allow monsters to cross Thalia?"

Thalia gave him a dry look.

**But the metal bulls were doing it anyway.**

**One of the heroes shouted, "Border patrol, to me!" A girl's voice—gruff and familiar.**

**Border patrol? I thought. The camp didn't _have _a border patrol.**

"Does now, punk," Ares snorted, "obviously."

"And it's been that way for a while," Annabeth murmured, her eyes becoming distant.

**"It's Clarisse," Annabeth said. "Come on, we have to help her."**

**Normally, rushing to Clarisse's aid would not have been high on my "to-do" list. She was one of the biggest bullies at camp. The first time we'd met she tried to introduce my head to a toilet.**

A number of people snickered at the reminder. Supreme Lord of the Bathroom indeed.

**She was also a daughter of Ares, and I'd had a very serious disagreement with her father last summer,**

"That's putting it mildly," Hermes grinned.

**so now the god of war and all his children basically hated my guts.**

"Eh, don't feel special," Apollo said, waving his hand, "they hate pretty much everyone's guts."

**Still, she _was _in trouble.**

"Admirable," Hestia remarked.

**Her fellow warriors were scattering, running in panic as the bulls charged.**

Ares looked unimpressed.

**The grass was burning in huge swathes around the pine tree. One hero screamed and waved his arms as he ran in circles, the horse hair plume on his helmet blazing like a fiery Mohawk.**

"And he can't take the helmet off because...?" Dionysus drawled, rolling his eyes.

**Clarisse's own armour was charred. She was fighting with a broken spear shaft, the other end embedded uselessly in the metal joint of one bull's shoulder.**

"Broke that thing again?" Apollo tsked, looking amused, "not very easy on the toys, is she?"

**I uncapped my ballpoint pen. It shimmered, growing longer and heavier until I held the bronze sword Anaklusmos in my hands. "Tyson, stay here. I don't want you taking any more chances."**

"I doubt he'll hinder more than help," Athena said with a faint frown.

**"No!" Annabeth said. "We need him."**

**I stared at her. "He's mortal. He got lucky with the dodge balls but he can't—"**

**"Percy, do you know what those are up there? The Colchis bulls, made by Hephaestus himself.**

Hephaestus frowned distractedly. As if he was more concerned as to why his bulls were loose than to why they were there.

**We can't fight them without Medea's Sunscreen SPF 50,000. We'll get burned to a crisp."**

**"Medea's _what?"_**

**Annabeth rummaged through her backpack and cursed. "I had a jar of tropical coconut scent sitting on my night-stand at home. Why didn't I bring it?"**

"How'd you get that?" Leo asked, blinking in surprise.

"It's a long story," Annabeth replied offhandedly.

**I'd learned a long time ago not to question Annabeth too much. It just made me more confused.**

Said girl grinned faintly and shook her head.

**"Look, I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm _not _going to let Tyson get fried."**

**"Percy—"**

**"Tyson, stay back." I raised my sword. "I'm going in."**

"Loyal idiot," Thalia snorted, folding her arms.

**Tyson tried to protest, but I was already running up the hill toward Clarisse, who was yelling at her patrol, trying to get them into phalanx formation.**

Ares nodded approvingly, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees as he listened.

**It was a good idea. The few who were listening lined up shoulder-to-shoulder, locking their shields to form an ox-hide-and-bronze wall, their spears bristling over the top like porcupine quills. Unfortunately, Clarisse could only muster six campers.**

"Well, as good of an idea as it is, it won't work that well with only six campers," Ares remarked, "the bronze will burn and harm the punks if they touch them and the ox-hide could catch on fire."

**The other four were still running around with their helmets on fire.**

**Annabeth ran toward them, trying to help. She taunted one of the bulls into chasing her, then turned invisible, completely confusing the monster.**

Athena nodded approvingly.

**The other bull charged Clarisse's line. I was halfway up the hill—not close enough to help. Clarisse hadn't even seen me yet.**

"Don't freak her out," Jason warned, "could get someone hurt."

**The bull moved deadly fast for something so big. Its metal hide gleamed in the sun. It had fist-sized rubies for eyes, and horns of polished silver. When it opened its hinged mouth, a column of white-hot flame blasted out.**

Leo whistled.

**"Hold the line!" Clarisse ordered her warriors.**

**Whatever else you could say about Clarisse, she was brave. She was a big girl with cruel eyes like her father's.**

Ares snorted.

**She looked like she was born to wear Greek battle armour, but I didn't see how even she could stand against that bull's charge.**

"She's my kid, isn't she?" Ares scoffed. "She'll be perfectly alright."

**Unfortunately, at that moment, the other bull lost interest in finding Annabeth. It turned, wheeling around behind Clarisse on her unprotected side.**

Ares abruptly sobered and a dark look overcame his face. Ares wasn't exactly the type to become overtly protective over his kids; instead, he felt more like a general to their soldier. Yes, he cared, for them, in that he wanted them to win and he'd help them win as much as he could. But if they couldn't protect themselves or assist the army, then they didn't belong.

**"Behind you!" I yelled. "Look out!"**

**I shouldn't have said anything, because all I did was startle her.**

Jason winced and shook his head.

**Bull Number One crashed into her shield, and the phalanx broke.**

Ares did not look surprised; neither did Athena.

**Clarisse went flying backward and landed in a smouldering patch of grass. The bull charged past her, but not before blasting the other heroes with its fiery breath. Their shields melted right off their arms.**

"What did I say?" Ares scoffed. "Idiot punks."

**They dropped their weapons and ran as Bull Number Two closed in on Clarisse for the kill.**

"This," Ares exclaimed, pointing at the book, "this is pathetic! Rule number one of any fight: _don't drop your weapon_!"

**I lunged forward and grabbed Clarisse by the straps of her armour. I dragged her out of the way just as Bull Number Two freight-trained past.**

Hestia nodded approvingly.

**I gave it a good swipe with Riptide and cut a huge gash in its flank, but the monster just creaked and groaned and kept on going. It hadn't touched me, but I could feel the heat of its metal skin. Its body temperature could've microwaved a frozen burrito.**

The room couldn't help but snort at the odd addition of humour to a rather serious situation.

**"Let me go!" Clarisse pummelled my hand. "Percy, curse you!"**

"He's trying to save your life," Leo looked amused.

"She's a kid of Ares," Apollo pointed out, "what did you expect?"

"Shut up, Apollo," Ares scowled.

**I dropped her in a heap next to the pine tree and turned to face the bulls. We were on the inside slope of the hill now, the valley of Camp Half-Blood directly below us—the cabins, the training facilities, the Big House—all of it at risk if these bulls got past us.**

"Then don't let them get past you," Dionysus scoffed.

**Annabeth shouted orders to the other heroes, telling them to spread out and keep the bulls distracted.**

Athena nodded approvingly.

**Bull Number One ran a wide arc, making its way back toward me. As it passed the middle of the hill, where the invisible boundary line should've kept it out, it slowed down a little, as if it were struggling against a strong wind;**

"So, it's still there, just weakened," Athena remarked, her eyes thoughtful, "something must be wrong with Thalia's tree, then."

Zeus shot her a sharp glance, a dark look overcoming his face.

**but then it broke through and kept coming. Bull Number Two turned to face me, fire sputtering from the gash I'd cut in its side. I couldn't tell if it felt any pain, but its ruby eyes seemed to glare at me like I'd just made things personal.**

"Bonus points for the sea spawn," Hades snorted sarcastically.

**I couldn't fight both bulls at the same time. I'd have to take down Bull Number Two first, cut its head off before Bull Number One charged back into range.**

Ares muttered something under his breath, a grudging look of approval on his face.

**My arms already felt tired. I realized how long it had been since I'd worked out with Riptide, how out of practice I was.**

Poseidon frowned deeply.

**I lunged but Bull Number Two blew flames at me. I rolled aside as the air turned to pure heat. All the oxygen was sucked out of my lungs.**

A number of people winced; Leo looked faintly curious, as the fire did not harm him, it was interesting to hear of this aspect of it. Terrifying, to be sure, but still interesting.

**My foot caught on something—a tree root, maybe—and pain shot up my ankle.**

His father's frown deepened.

**Still, I managed to slash with my sword and lop off part of the monster's snout. It galloped away, wild and disoriented. But before I could feel too good about that, I tried to stand, and my left leg buckled underneath me. My ankle was sprained, maybe broken.**

"That is... not good," Piper winced.

"Not in the slightest," Poseidon murmured in a rumble.

**Bull Number One charged straight toward me. No way could I crawl out of its path.**

**Annabeth shouted: "Tyson, help him!"**

"Please do," Poseidon remarked mildly after clearing his throat.

**Somewhere near, toward the crest of the hill, Tyson wailed, "Can't—get—through!"**

**"I, Annabeth Chase, give you permission to enter camp!"**

**Thunder shook the hillside. Suddenly Tyson was there, barrelling toward me, yelling: "Percy needs help!"**

"Yes, yes he does," Apollo chuckled faintly.

**Before I could tell him no, he dove between me and the bull just as it unleashed a nuclear firestorm.**

"And he couldn't have just knocked Percy down, why?" Thalia asked, raising her brows.

"Might have crushed him," Annabeth remarked with a faint shrug.

"Good point."

**"Tyson!" I yelled.**

**The blast swirled around him like a red tornado. I could only see the black silhouette of his body. I knew with horrible certainty that my friend had just been turned into a column of ashes.**

"He must be out of his mind with worry," Hestia remarked softly, swinging her legs idly.

**But when the fire died, Tyson was still standing there, completely unharmed. Not even his grungy clothes were scorched.**

"Which is a little odd, trust me," Jason said, shoving Leo lightly.

"Hey dude, better than me ending up naked every time something fiery happens," Leo pointed out with a shrug.

**The bull must've been as surprised as I was, because before it could unleash a second blast, Tyson balled his fists and slammed them into the bull's face. "BAD COW!"**

"Damn, I like this kid," Apollo sniggered.

**His fists made a crater where the bronze bull's snout used to be. Two small columns of flame shot out of its ears.**

The room couldn't help but chuckle at the imagery (even though Hephaestus groaned at the destruction of his creations).

**Tyson hit it again, and the bronze crumpled under his hands like aluminium foil. The bull's face now looked like a sock puppet pulled inside out.**

Apollo grinned and shook his head.

**"Down!" Tyson yelled.**

**The bull staggered and fell on its back. Its legs moved feebly in the air, steam coming out of its ruined head in odd places.**

"Bloody well wrecked it now..." Hephaestus grumbled.

"Dad, priorities," Leo snickered.

**Annabeth ran over to check on me. My ankle felt like it was filled with acid, but she gave me some Olympian nectar to drink from her canteen, and I immediately started to feel better. There was a burning smell that I later learned was me. The hair on my arms had been completely singed off.**

"Talk about close calls," Hermes said dryly.

"Punk ought to be training," Ares grunted, "gonna get himself killed."

"Why, lover, you sound almost concerned," Aphrodite commented offhandedly.

"Only because I want to be the one to kill him, babe, and I can't go that if he's been fried by a stupid cow."

Aphrodite sighed. "You are depressing, lover."

**"The other bull?" I asked.**

**Annabeth pointed down the hill. Clarisse had taken care of Bad Cow Number Two. She'd impaled it through the back leg with a celestial bronze spear. Now, with its snout half gone and a huge gash in its side, it was trying to run in slow motion, going in circles like some kind of merry-go-round animal.**

Ares nodded approvingly. "Now _that_ is awesome!"

**Clarisse pulled off her helmet and marched toward us. A strand of her stringy brown hair was smouldering, but she didn't seem to notice. "You—ruin—everything!" she yelled at me. "I had it under control!"**

"No, you did not," Athena remarked calmly, her eyebrows raising. "He, possibly, saved your life, as much as you dislike the idea."

**I was too stunned to answer. Annabeth grumbled, "Good to see you too, Clarisse."**

**"Argh!" Clarisse screamed. "Don't ever, EVER try saving me again!"**

"Yeah, that didn't stand up," Annabeth scoffed, shaking her head.

**"Clarisse," Annabeth said, "you've got wounded campers."**

**That sobered her up. Even Clarisse cared about the soldiers under her command.**

"Of course she does," Demeter snorted, "stupid boy, her father is the god of war! It's within her to be a commander, and every good commander cares about their soldiers."

"He's being harsh, not stupid," Hermes defended dryly, "they're kids, Demeter. Stop judging them so harshly."

"High stakes, high judgements."

"Lack of training, lack of blame."

Demeter huffed at that.

**"I'll be back," she growled, then trudged off to assess the damage.**

**I stared at Tyson. "You didn't die."**

"Nice to see you too," Leo snickered.

**Tyson looked down like he was embarrassed. "I am sorry. Came to help. Disobeyed you."**

"Hardly you're fault," Annabeth smiled faintly.

**"My fault,"**

Annabeth inclined her head.

**Annabeth said. "I had no choice. I had to let Tyson cross the boundary line to save you. Otherwise, you would've died."**

**_"Let _him cross the boundary line?'" I asked. "But—"**

"He's _really_ still on that?" Apollo chuckled and shook his head.

**"Percy," she said, "have you ever looked at Tyson closely? I mean ... in the face. Ignore the Mist, and _really _look at him."**

**The Mist makes humans see only what their brains can process ... I knew it could fool demigods too, but...**

"Don't be arrogant," Dionysus snorted into his diet coke.

"I think all heroes have that belief," Hera remarked simply, her eyes faintly disapproving. "They believe themselves to be better than humans."

The demigods frowned indignantly.

"Of course you would take that position," Annabeth scoffed. "What makes you better than humans? Your divinity? Well, if that's the case, then we are only following your example."

"_You_ are still human," Hera said, sounding irritated. "Despite your blood."

"No, I am both," Annabeth retorted boldly, her grey eyes hot. "And I make no apologies for the way I was created."

"Which is admirable," Athena intervened, giving her stepmother a hard stare. "Thus, we ought to leave things be, yes?"

Hera looked annoyed but she nodded.

**I looked Tyson in the face. It wasn't easy. I'd always had trouble looking directly at him, though I'd never quite understood why. I'd thought it was just because he always had peanut butter in his crooked teeth. I forced myself to focus at his big lumpy nose, then a little higher at his eyes.**

**No, not _eyes._**

"Cyclops, then," Apollo nodded. "Makes sense."

**_One _eye. One large, calf-brown eye, right in the middle of his forehead, with thick lashes and big tears trickling down his cheeks on either side.**

**"Tyson," I stammered. "You're a ..."**

"Quick, isn't he?" Dionysus rolled his eyes.

**"Cyclops," Annabeth offered. "A baby, by the looks of him. Probably why he couldn't get past the boundary line as easily as the bulls. Tyson's one of the homeless orphans."**

Poseidon just quirked a brow.

**"One of the what?"**

**"They're in almost all the big cities," Annabeth said distastefully. "They're ..._mistakes, _Percy.**

"No child is a mistake," Artemis whipped out, giving Annabeth a hard look. "Perhaps they are not planned, perhaps they were not a conceived at a good time; but _none_ are mistakes!"

**Children of nature spirits and gods... Well, one god in particular, usually...**

Poseidon just quirked a brow at the dry looks his brothers were giving him.

**and they don't always come out right. No one wants them. They get tossed aside.**

Artemis scowled darkly.

**They grow up wild on the streets. I don't know how this one found you, but he obviously likes you.**

"You speak of him as if he's a dog, or as if he is not even present," Artemis said disdainfully.

"I _am_ sorry for what I did, Lady Artemis," Annabeth told her honestly, meeting her eyes. "Tyson is... a good friend. And I should have treated him with respect. But I cannot change it now."

Artemis huffed but she inclined her head in acknowledgement.

**We should take him to Chiron, let him decide what to do."**

**"But the fire. How—"**

**"He's a Cyclops." Annabeth paused, as if she were remembering something unpleasant.**

Thalia gripped her shoulder tightly.

**"They work the forges of the gods. They _have _to be immune to fire. That's what I was trying to tell you."**

**I was completely shocked. How had I never realized what Tyson was?**

Hera's mouth pursed.

**But I didn't have much time to think about it just then. The whole side of the hill was burning. Wounded heroes needed attention. And there were still two banged-up bronze bulls to dispose of, which I didn't figure would fit in our normal recycling bins.**

A couple of people snorted at that.

**Clarisse came back over and wiped the soot off her forehead. "Jackson, if you can stand, get up. We need to carry the wounded back to the Big House, let Tantalus**

Zeus' head jerked, his frown holding a confused edge.

**know what's happened."**

**"Tantalus?" I asked.**

**"The activities director," Clarisse said impatiently.**

**"Chiron is the activities director. And where's Argus? He's head of security. He should be here."**

"Yeah, where is many-eyed surfer dude?" Leo asked, perking up slightly.

**Clarisse made a sour face. "Argus got fired. You two have been gone too long. Things are changing."**

Leo looked shocked and he fell into an abrupt silence. The gods exchanged dark, worried looks.

**"But Chiron ... He's trained kids to fight monsters for over three thousand years. He can't just be _gone. _What happened?"**

**"_That _happened," Clarisse snapped.**

**She pointed to Thalia's tree.**

Zeus' head snapped again, this time towards his daughter. Thalia met his eyes, electric blue to swirling grey.

**Every camper knew the story behind the tree. Six years ago, Grover, Annabeth, and two other demigods named Thalia and Luke had come to Camp Half-Blood chased by an army of monsters. When they got cornered on top of this hill, Thalia, a daughter of Zeus, had made her last stand here to give her friends time to reach safety.**

Thalia and Annabeth gripped hands tight.

**As she was dying, her father, Zeus, took pity on her and changed her into a pine tree. Her spirit had reinforced the magic borders of the camp, protecting it from monsters. The pine had been here ever since, strong and healthy.**

"Do you... remember any of that?" Jason asked her uncertainly, his brow furrowing.

"No, Jason, I don't." Thalia told him simply, firmly. "I remember laying on that hill, unable to breathe. Then a flash of light and I was asleep... and then I woke up lying next to the tree, told that it was s- _however_ many years later."

Jason nodded slowly, giving her sister an uncertain smile. Thalia just shook her head and returned it.

**But now, its needles were yellow. A huge pile of dead ones littered the base of the tree. In the centre of the trunk, three feet from the ground, was a puncture mark the size of a bullet hole, oozing green sap.**

A crackle of lightning shot through the sky.

**A sliver of ice ran through my chest. Now I understood why the camp was in danger. The magical borders were failing because Thalia's tree was dying.**

**Someone had poisoned it.**

"Hermes..." Zeus rumbled.

"It hasn't happened yet," Apollo leaped in. "And Hermes is hardly in control of what the kid does, is he?"

Zeus scowled darkly and another fork of lightning streaked across the sky. "Very well..."

"In any case," Apollo hastened on, "the chapter's do-"

A burst of light, left a boy standing in the middle of the room. His hair was a right mess and his eyes were narrowed in confusion; looking around the room, he finally landed on Annabeth.

"Annabeth..." He said, his voice laced with confusion, "how in my father's name did I get here?"

* * *

WHAT? A CLIFFHANGER? AHFNVJH FGHNVREKGVJ CURSE YOU, LAST TRUTH! I know, but it's so much fun, isn't it? ;)

And let me just say this outright: it's not who you guys want it to be.

Alright, so the next chapter should be up sometime during the weekend, but as I need to write the placeholder and write the next chapter... well, it might be late Sunday or even early Monday. Just know that I'm shooting for Saturday.

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	31. Chapter 31

The boy was obviously of Italian heritage, though it looked like he had spent more time underground than in the sun. He wore black, ripped skinny jeans and all-black converse; a Stygian Iron sword hung from the belt at his side; his shirt was a dark navy blue and an authentic bomber jacket was over that. His black hair was a shaggy mess, dishevelled and falling into his eyes. Dark brown eyes with a glint to them that reminded the room of Hades.

"Nico," Annabeth breathed, standing sharply. "How did you-?"

"I don't know," he replied. "One minute I was shadow-travelling and the next..." he shrugged helplessly.

"Shadow travelling?" Zeus demanded, rising to his full height. "Who are you, boy?"

"I can answer that," Hades replied, standing as well and giving his brother a firm look. "He is my son."

"Well," Poseidon remarked dryly, his body language said casual but the ways his eyes glanced between his brothers betrayed him, "nice to know that all three of us broke the oath."

"I broke no oath!" Hades snapped, the shadows flexing at his tone. "Nico and his sister were born before World War II, before our pact was made!"

"Then how is he here?" Zeus demanded dangerously. "The boy is barely out of childhood!"

"I placed him and his sister within the Lotus Hotel and Casino," Hades retorted, "after _you_ killed their mother!"

Nico swallowed and looked away. "In any case, I'm out now," the boy said roughly. "Though I don't know where..."

Annabeth stood easily, walking over and gripping Nico's arm. "Come on, Nico," she said, "I'll fill you in."

"I think we all should take a short break," Athena said smartly. "We'll reconvene in an hour."

~~~~~_Mount Olympus_~~~~~

"So you're working on the Argo II still? But..." Nico shook his head, "the time when I was tugged out of is still well before the summer solstice."

"I don't know what to tell you, Nico," Annabeth sighed, "I don't full understand it myself. All I know is that this is something we're going to have to deal with."

"So these books..." Nico said carefully, "they're about Percy?"

Annabeth nodded, letting out a slow breath. "Nico, have you-"

"Yes," he replied, cutting her off, "sorry, but... you're about to ask me if I've seen Percy. And I have. He's been at Camp Jupiter."

Annabeth forced herself to remain calm, but the very fine trembling in her hands gave her away. Nico stood next to her on one of the many stone bridges in Olympus; the son of Hades watched her warily, cautiously, just a small touch of sympathy well hidden in his gaze. Tightening her grip on the edge of the bridge, Annabeth took a deep breath before straightening and turning to the younger boy.

"So Percy's definitely at Camp Jupiter," she said, "good... that's good..."

Nico's jaw tightened for a moment. "He's not there now, Annabeth," he told her gently, "he's gone on a quest."

Annabeth inhaled sharply, quietly, trying to control herself as was befitting a child of Athena. "Okay," she said at last, "did he take anyone with him?"

"Yes," the boy nodded hastily, "two people; a daughter of Pluto named Hazel... and an as-of-yet unclaimed boy named Frank."

"A daughter of Pluto?" Annabeth asked, her grey eyes narrowing.

Nico grimaced. "She was in a... similar situation as what myself and Bianca were."

"Similar? In what way?"

"The Doors of Death, Annabeth," Nico replied solemnly.

For a moment, Annabeth just frowned in confusion, before it suddenly cleared and her eyes closed with a sigh. "You went searching for Bianca," it wasn't a question.

"She's decided to attempt for the Isles of the Blest," Nico said quietly, "I cannot begrudge her that... but while I was down there, I found Hazel."

Annabeth placed her hand on Nico's shoulder. "I understand," she said softly.

"Nico?" The two turned to spot Jason standing just a bit away, a confused frown on his face. "Sorry to interrupt, but-"

"No worries," Annabeth said, waving off his apologies. "I'm glad that you're here, Nico. I'll see you later."

Nico nodded and watched the blonde girl as she walked away, after a beat, he turned to lock eyes with Jason. The boy walked forward warily, tension in every muscle of his body.

"So," he said, "a son of Hades. I was under the impression that you were a son of Pluto."

Nico winced. "My father informed me of the two camps a while ago and asked me to be the Ambassador to Pluto there."

Jason grit his teeth and his blue eyes narrowed. "So you knew about both."

"Yes," Nico replied, "and I understand if you think I've been double-crossing but you've _met_ the Greeks. You're sister _is_ a Greek. Yes, there will be some who are antagonistic, but in the same way that you would be if they threatened Camp Jupiter."

Jason grimaced, looking out over Mount Olympus. "I see your point," he admitted. "But that doesn't mean I'm all that fond of it. This rivalry between Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood makes me... anxious. It worries me."

Nico nodded slowly. "I can understand that too. There are a great deal of things that could go wrong, but if we play this out carefully... it should be fine."

The blonde just shook his head. "I hope you're right, Nico."

_So do I_, the son of Hades thought.

"Jason!" Piper hurried down the bridge, she paused for the barest hint of a moment before Jason jerked his head and she rushed towards him, gripping his elbow. "Jason, come on, they're about to pick up the reading again! You too, Nico, let's go."

Jason grinned faintly as he looked at his girlfriend before he cocked his head at Nico and jerked his head towards the palace. Nico's mouth quirked in just the barest hint of a smile before following the two obligingly.

Walking back into the reading room, Nico could just feel a dozen pairs of eyes pinned to him, though every time he looked, no one would match his gaze. Piper and Jason had chosen to sit on the floor in front of the demigod couch, leaving space for Nico to sit behind them with Leo sitting between him and Thalia with Annabeth on the huntress' other side.

"Now then," Hera remarked, eyeing Nico warily, "who shall read the next chapter?"

"I'll do it," Annabeth offered, taking the book. "Chapter five: I Get a New Cabin Mate."

* * *

I know, the transition is a little awkward. But, meh, it is what it is.

The majority of you seem to have guessed that it was Nico who appeared, but I'm sure I've pissed off a few who hoped it was going to be Percy. I'm sorry guys, but in one of my earlier AN's, I did say that Percy wasn't showing up until the end of the second book.

The next chapter will be up in a few hours.

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	32. Chapter 32

**I Get a New Cabin Mate**

"The cyclops?" Zeus grunted, giving his brother a look. "You claimed the monster?"

"He's hardly a monster," Poseidon replied mildly, a vague hint of irritation in his voice, "perhaps the majority of cyclops are difficult to say the least, but Tyson seems to be one of the few honest ones."

"You're a bleeding heart, little brother," Hades scoffed.

"_Don't_ call me that," Poseidon remarked, raising a brow in annoyance.

**Ever come home and found your room messed up? Like some helpful person (hi, Mom)**

A chuckle ran through the room.

**has tried to "clean" it, and suddenly you can't find anything? And even if nothing is missing, you get that creepy feeling like somebody's been looking through your private stuff and dusting everything with lemon furniture polish?**

"Yes," half of the demigods scoffed, Jason, Thalia and Nico being the notable exceptions.

**That's kind of the way I felt seeing Camp Half-Blood again.**

The gods grimaced, being forcefully reminded of the difficulties now facing their children.

**On the surface, things didn't look all that different.**

**The Big House was still there with its blue gabled roof and its wraparound porch. The strawberry fields still baked in the sun.**

Dionysus muttered something about grapes and strawberries under his breath irritably.

**The same white-columned Greek buildings were scattered around the valley—the amphitheatre, the combat arena, the dining pavilion overlooking Long Island Sound. And nestled between the woods and the creek were the same cabins—a crazy assortment of twelve buildings, each representing a different Olympian god.**

"A 'crazy assortment', eh?" Apollo sniggered. "That does sound like us gods."

"Do shut up, twin," Artemis sighed in annoyance, pinching the bridge of her nose.

**But there was an air of danger now. You could tell something was wrong.**

"Uncomfortable," Jason grimaced.

"Oh, you have no idea," Annabeth sighed, shaking her head.

**Instead of playing volleyball in the sandpit, counsellors and satyrs were stockpiling weapons in the tool shed.**

Thalia and Annabeth both looked troubled, the reminder obviously striking a chord.

**Dryads armed with bows and arrows talked nervously at the edge of the woods. The forest looked sickly, the grass in the meadow was pale yellow, and the fire marks on Half-Blood Hill stood out like ugly scars.**

Dionysus scowled darkly; he may not like the brats or even being stuck at the camp, but he took it as a personal insult that someone could poison the tree or attack the camp.

**Somebody had messed with my favourite place in the world, and I was not ... well, a happy camper.**

"Ba-dum-tsh!" Leo said, pretending to hit drums.

"I'd say that that was worse than Apollo, but the only saving grace is that Percy is being honest," Hermes remarked dryly.

"Yeah... hey!"

Hermes sniggered.

**As we made our way to the Big House, I recognized a lot of kids from last summer. Nobody stopped to talk. Nobody said, "Welcome back." Some did double takes when they saw Tyson, but most just walked grimly past and carried on with their duties—running messages, toting swords to sharpen on the grinding wheels.**

"They turned it into the Roman camp?" Leo asked innocently.

"Leo," Jason warned.

"Alright, alright! Was just a joke..."

**The camp felt like a military school. And believe me, I know. I've been kicked out of a couple.**

"Of that, I have no doubt," Poseidon chuckled in amusement.

**None of that mattered to Tyson. He was absolutely fascinated by everything he saw. "Whasthat!" he gasped.**

**"The stables for pegasi," I said. "The winged horses."**

Annabeth smiled faintly, thinking of Blackjack.

**"Whasthat!"**

**"Um ... those are the toilets."**

The room chuckled.

**"Whasthat!"**

**"The cabins for the campers. If they don't know who your Olympian parent is, they put you in the Hermes cabin—that brown one over there—until you're determined.**

Hermes hummed in acknowledgement.

**Then, once they know, they put you in your dad or mom's group."**

**He looked at me in awe. "You ... have a **_**cabin?"**_

**"Number three." I pointed to a low grey building made of sea stone.**

Poseidon's mouth quirked and he settled back into his chair comfortably.

**"You live with friends in the cabin?"**

**"No. No, just me." I didn't feel like explaining. The embarrassing truth: I was the only one who stayed in that cabin because I wasn't supposed to be alive.**

At once, the sea god's smile transformed into a wince and a quick shake of his head.

**The "Big Three" gods—Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades—**

Said gods didn't react, purposefully refusing to look at one another.

**had made a pact after World War II not to have any more children with mortals.**

"What's up, little brother?" Thalia snorted, knocking her knuckles against her brother's.

**We were more powerful than regular half-bloods. We were too unpredictable. When we got mad we tended to cause problems... like World War II, for instance.**

Thalia, Jason, and Nico scoffed.

**The "Big Three" pact had only been broken twice—once when Zeus sired Thalia, once when Poseidon sired me. Neither of us should've been born.**

"I guess you can add me to that list too," Jason grimaced. "How lovely."

"Isn't it just?" Thalia remarked dryly.

Zeus frowned.

**Thalia had gotten herself turned into a pine tree when she was twelve. Me ... well, I was doing my best not to follow her example.**

"Not as easy as it looks, is it, sea brain?" Thalia snorted, folding her arms across her chest.

**I had nightmares about what Poseidon might turn me into if I were ever on the verge of death— plankton, maybe. Or a floating patch of kelp.**

"More like a willow," Poseidon remarked quietly, a faint smile just barely visible, "though that does not mean you're allowed to find yourself close to thus."

**When we got to the Big House, we found Chiron in his apartment, listening to his favourite 1960s lounge music**

Apollo nodded, faintly approving.

**while he packed his saddlebags. I guess I should mention—Chiron is a centaur.**

"Might be a touch important," Hermes chuckled, his eyes on his phone.

**From the waist up he looks like a regular middle-aged guy with curly brown hair and a scraggly beard. From the waist down, he's a white stallion. He can pass for human by compacting his lower half into a magic wheelchair. In fact, he'd passed himself off as my Latin teacher during my sixth-grade year. But most of the time, if the ceilings are high enough, he prefers hanging out in full centaur form.**

"Well, it is the difference between crouching and standing, isn't it?" Demeter muttered.

**As soon as we saw him, Tyson froze. "Pony!" he cried in total rapture.**

A number of people couldn't help but choke on their laughter.

**Chiron turned, looking offended. "I beg your pardon?"**

**Annabeth ran up and hugged him. "Chiron, what's happening? You're not ... leaving?" Her voice was shaky. Chiron was like a second father to her.**

Athena smiled sadly.

**Chiron ruffled her hair and gave her a kindly smile. "Hello, child. And Percy, my goodness. You've grown over the year!"**

"That does tend to happen with teenagers," Leo pointed out with a short laugh.

"Is he always like this?" Nico asked skeptically.

"Yes," Jason, Piper, Thalia, and Leo himself chorused.

At the weird looks he was getting, Leo just grinned broadly. "What?" he asked innocently. "It's true."

**I swallowed. "Clarisse said you were ... you were ..."**

**"Fired." Chiron's eyes glinted with dark humour. "Ah, well, someone had to take the blame. Lord Zeus was most upset.**

"Of course I was," Zeus scoffed.

"Will be," Poseidon corrected absentmindedly.

Zeus gave him a filthy look.

**The tree he'd created from the spirit of his daughter, poisoned! Mr. D had to punish someone."**

**"Besides himself, you mean," I growled.**

Dionysus looked totally unrepentant despite the angry looks a number of people (gods and demigods both) were giving him.

**Just the thought of the camp director, Mr. D, made me angry.**

"Completely mutual," Dionysus scoffed into his pop.

**"But this is crazy!" Annabeth cried. "Chiron, you couldn't have had anything to do with poisoning Thalia's tree!"**

**"Nevertheless," Chiron sighed, "some in Olympus do not trust me now, under the circumstances."**

The children of Kronos exchanged significant looks.

**"What circumstances?" I asked.**

**Chiron's face darkened. He stuffed a Latin-English dictionary into his saddlebag while the Frank Sinatra music oozed from his boom box.**

**Tyson was still staring at Chiron in amazement. He whimpered like he wanted to pat Chiron's flank but was afraid to come closer. "Pony?"**

"I... never realized quite how much Tyson liked horses," Annabeth remarked, a dry tone in her voice.

**Chiron sniffed. "My dear young Cyclops! I am a **_**centaur.**_**"**

"Jeez, Chiron can sound so bitchy when he wants to," Apollo cackled.

**"Chiron," I said. "What about the tree? What happened?"**

"Isn't it obvious?" Dionysus scoffed. "A powerful poison."

**He shook his head sadly. "The poison used on Thalia's pine is something from the Underworld, Percy. Some venom even I have never seen. It must have come from a monster quite deep in the pits of Tartarus."**

Hades grimaced.

**"Then we know who's responsible. Kro—"**

**"Do not invoke the titan lord's name, Percy. Especially not here, not now."**

"I wonder how long it's going to take until he gets the idea that names have power," Dionysus rolled his eyes skyward.

**"But last summer he tried to cause a civil war in Olympus! This **_**has **_**to be his idea. He'd get Luke to do it, that traitor."**

**"Perhaps," Chiron said. "But I fear I am being held responsible because I did not prevent it and I cannot cure it.**

"In other words," Hera remarked, her voice carefully offhand, "my dear husband is not thinking straight as this has something to do with one of his... children."

"That does tend to happen to parents when it pertains to their children," Athena said, her voice just as casual, "well, to _most_ parents, I must clarify."

The look Hera shot the daughter of Zeus could have frozen the very core of the earth.

**The tree has only a few weeks of life left unless ..."**

**"Unless what?" Annabeth asked.**

**"No," Chiron said. "A foolish thought. The whole valley is feeling the shock of the poison. The magical borders are deteriorating. The camp itself is dying.**

Apollo frowned. "Not cool."

**Only one source of magic would be strong enough to reverse the poison, and it was lost centuries ago."**

"What type of magic?" Leo asked curiously.

"Chiron could be referring to the Golden Fleece..." Athena said carefully, ignoring her stepmother's glare. "Though, how they will find it, I know not."

**"What **_**is **_**it?" I asked. "We'll go find it!"**

"Foolish boy," Artemis commented, shaking her head.

**Chiron closed his saddlebag. He pressed the stop button on his boom box. Then he turned and rested his hand on my shoulder, looking me straight in the eyes. "Percy, you must promise me that you will **_**not **_**act rashly.**

"In this family?" Hermes chuckled mirthlessly, "that might be a touch difficult."

"I do not act rashly, brother," Athena said severely.

"Okay, quick question," Leo piped up, interrupting whatever Hermes was about to say, "so, ignoring the whole gods-don't-have-DNA thing; Lady Athena, you don't have a mother, right? Only a father?"

"Yes," Athena frowned, curious as to where this was going.

"Okay, so, with Apollo and Hermes, they're half-brothers, right? Different mothers and whatever, but you don't have a mother... Does that make them your half-brothers because you don't have a mother? Or are you, like, full siblings because you have the same father and whatever?" Leo asked, cocking his head to the side.

Athena's brows raised. "I suppose we are half-siblings as they have their mother's DNA and I do not. Irrelevant of who our father is, to be full-blooded siblings we'd need the same parents. And as I have a lack of one, we are half."

**I told your mother I did not want you to come here at all this summer. It's much too ****dangerous. But now that you are here, **_**stay **_**here. Train hard. Learn to fight. But do not leave."**

"Yeah, he's not going to listen to that," Thalia snorted.

"How do you know?" Piper wanted to know.

"Because I wouldn't. Not if it meant saving the camp."

**"Why?" I asked. "I want to do something! I can't just let the borders fail. The whole camp will be—"**

**"Overrun by monsters,"**

"Well, now that the elephant has been addressed," Apollo remarked dryly.

"You mean no one had addressed it beforehand?" Hermes snorted.

**Chiron said. "Yes, I fear so. But you must not let yourself be baited into hasty action! This could be a trap of the titan lord. Remember last summer! He almost took your life."**

Poseidon grimaced as Artemis shook her head.

"His impatience could get him killed if he does not watch it," she remarked flatly.

"Ah, sis," Apollo laughed, "the kid's thirteen! Of course he's going to be a touch impatient."

"Don't _call_ me 'sis'!"

**It was true, but still, I wanted to help so badly. I also wanted to make Kronos pay. I mean, you'd think the titan lord would've learned his lesson eons ago when he was overthrown by the gods.**

Not even Zeus could resist that faint, proud smirk that crossed his mouth at that.

**You'd think getting chopped into a million pieces and cast into the darkest part of the Underworld would give him a subtle clue that nobody wanted him around.**

"Oh yeah, it was a very subtle hint," Leo sniggered.

**But no. Because he was immortal, he was still alive down there in Tartarus—suffering in eternal pain, hungering to return and take revenge on Olympus.**

**He couldn't act on his own, but he was great at twisting the minds of mortals and even gods to do his dirty work.**

Ares growled low and dark in his throat.

**The poisoning **_**had **_**to be his doing. Who else would be so low as to attack Thalia's tree, the only thing left of a hero who'd given her life to save her friends?**

Thalia's head jerked slightly.

**Annabeth was trying hard not to cry.**

"Stupid seaweed brain," Annabeth had a melancholic smile on her face.

**Chiron brushed a tear from her cheek. "Stay with Percy, child," he told her. "Keep him safe. The prophecy—remember it!"**

"So... you knew?" Nico asked her quietly; Annabeth nodded.

**"I—I will."**

**"Um ..." I said. "Would this be the super-dangerous prophecy that has me in it, but the gods have forbidden you to tell me about?"**

Apollo snorted and began to snicker.

**Nobody answered.**

**"Right," I muttered. "Just checking."**

"That must be frustrating," Jason winced sympathetically.

**"Chiron ..." Annabeth said. "You told me the gods made you immortal only so long as you were needed to train heroes. If they dismiss you from camp—"**

Thalia sucked in a sharp breath before shooting Dionysus a dark look.

**"Swear you will do your best to keep Percy from danger," he insisted. "Swear upon the River Styx."**

Athena frowned, she didn't like the idea that her daughter was being coerced into protecting the son of Poseidon. She could... tolerate their friendship, but Chiron asking her to do this? Well, let's just say that she did not approve.

**"I—I swear it upon the River Styx," Annabeth said.**

**Thunder rumbled outside.**

"Dramatic," Hades drawled, earning a filthy look from his brother.

**"Very well," Chiron said. He seemed to relax just a little. "Perhaps my name will be cleared and I shall return. Until then, I go to visit my wild kinsmen in the Everglades.**

Apollo choked on his laughter, turning it into an outrageous coughing fit.

**It's possible they know of some cure for the poisoned tree that I have forgotten. In any event, I will stay in exile until this matter is resolved ... one way or another."**

"Cheery," Jason muttered.

**Annabeth stifled a sob. Chiron patted her shoulder awkwardly. "There, now, child. I must entrust your safety to Mr. D and the new activities director.**

Annabeth had a sour expression on her face as she read this.

**We must hope ... well, perhaps they won't destroy the camp quite as quickly as I fear."**

**"Who is this Tantalus guy, anyway?" I demanded.** **"Where does he get off taking your job?"**

"Loyal," Hestia murmured, her mouth twitching.

**A conch horn blew across the valley. I hadn't realized how late it was. It was time for the campers to assemble for dinner.**

**"Go," Chiron said. "You will meet him at the pavilion. I will contact your mother, Percy, and let her know you're safe. No doubt she'll be worried by now. Just remember my warning! You are in grave danger. Do not think for a moment that the titan lord has forgotten you!"**

Poseidon grimaced.

**With that, he clopped out of the apartment and down the hall, Tyson calling after him, "Pony! Don't go!"**

Hermes snorted.

**I realized I'd forgotten to tell Chiron about my dream of Grover. Now it was too late. The best teacher I'd ever had was gone, maybe for good.**

"Way to go, little brother," Hades drawled, giving Zeus a flat look. His brother ignored him.

**Tyson started bawling almost as bad as Annabeth. I tried to tell them that things would be okay, but I didn't believe it.**

Hestia's smile was sad.

**The sun was setting behind the dining pavilion as the campers came up from their cabins. We stood in the shadow of a marble column and watched them file in. Annabeth was still pretty shaken up, but she promised she'd talk to us later. Then she went off to join her siblings from the Athena cabin—a dozen boys and girls with blond hair and grey eyes like hers.**

Athena gave a scathing look to anyone who dared look like they were about to make a stereotypical 'dumb blonde' comment.

**Annabeth wasn't the oldest, but she'd been at camp more summers than just about anybody. You could tell that by looking at her camp necklace—one bead for every summer, and ****Annabeth had six. No one questioned her right to lead the line.**

"Either experience or age," Annabeth said simply, "that's how you know who's the Senior Counsellor of a cabin."

"Or raw talent," Jason pointed out. "Leo and Piper didn't have much experience, neither were they the eldest, but they both took on the role."

"No, I took it on because I had just come back from our quest and refused to put up with Drew's crap," Piper corrected.

"And I was chosen after our quest," Leo added.

"Yes, but Jake Mason had been one of the boy to fight in the Battle," Nico remarked, everyone could hear the capitalization of the word 'battle', "Drew had no experience, Jake did."

Leo's mouth twisted and he just shook his head.

**Next came Clarisse, leading the Ares cabin. She had one arm in a sling and a nasty-looking gash on her cheek, but otherwise her encounter with the bronze bulls didn't seem to have fazed her.**

Ares nodded approvingly.

**Someone had taped a piece of paper to her back that said, YOU MOO, GIRL! But nobody in ****her cabin was bothering to tell her about it.**

"...normally, I'd find something like that funny," Hermes remarked, frowning faintly, "but I have the feeling that this was more malicious."

"You really ought to promote unity amongst your children, lover," Aphrodite hummed, "they ought to stand together."

"They have to prove themselves to each other and to me," Ares retorted, "they sort out the pecking order, I just praise the best."

**After the Ares kids came the Hephaestus cabin—six guys led by Charles Beckendorf,**

Annabeth swallowed hard as she read his name.

**a big fifteen-year-old African American kid. He had hands the size of catchers' mitts and a face that was hard and squinty from looking into a blacksmiths forge all day. He was nice enough once you got to know him, but no one ever called him Charlie or Chuck or Charles. Most just called him Beckendorf. Rumour was he could make anything. Give him a chunk of metal and he could create a razor-sharp sword or a robotic warrior or a singing birdbath for your grandmother's garden. Whatever you wanted.**

Hephaestus nodded approvingly, and Leo looked curious at the information about his half-brother.

**The other cabins filed in: Demeter, Apollo, Aphrodite, Dionysus.**

Said gods preened somewhat as their names were announced.

**Naiads came up from the canoe lake. Dryads melted out of the trees. From the meadow came a dozen satyrs, who reminded me painfully of Grover.**

Thalia winced.

**I'd always had a soft spot for the satyrs. When they were at camp, they had to do all kinds of odd jobs for Mr. D, the director, but their most important work was out in the real world. They were the camp's seekers. They went undercover into schools all over the world, looking for potential half-bloods and escorting them back to camp. That's how I'd met Grover. He had been the first one to recognize I was a demigod.**

"You're kind of hard to miss, sea brain," Thalia remarked, a faint grin on her mouth.

**After the satyrs filed in to dinner, the Hermes cabin brought up the rear.**

Hermes frowned at that. He hoped that his cabin was coming in last because of how long it took to gather them all together, not because they were considered the least of those at camp. But the he paused, and realized something. Those that were unclaimed _were_ considered the least at camp, weren't they? The messenger god shook his head; he didn't like that idea.

**They were always the biggest cabin. Last summer, it had been led by Luke, the guy who'd fought with Thalia and Annabeth on top of Half-Blood Hill.**

Both girls flinched as if struck.

**For a while, before Poseidon had claimed me, I'd lodged in the Hermes cabin. Luke had befriended me ... and then he'd tried to kill me.**

"I cannot get over how candid Percy is," Leo cackled.

**Now the Hermes cabin was led by Travis and Connor Stoll. They weren't twins, but they looked so much alike it didn't matter.**

"That's an understatement," Nico snorted, shaking his head.

**I could never remember which one was older.**

"Travis is," Hermes remarked offhandedly, texting someone on his phone.

**They were both tall and skinny, with mops of brown hair that hung in their eyes. They wore orange CAMP HALF-BLOOD T-shirts untucked over baggy shorts, and they had those elfish features all Hermes's kids had:**

Said god's mouth quirked though his eyes remained on his screen.

**upturned eyebrows, sarcastic smiles, a gleam in their eyes whenever they looked at you—like they were about to drop a firecracker down your shirt. I'd always thought it was funny that ****the god of thieves would have kids with the last name "Stoll," but the only time I mentioned it to Travis and Connor, they both stared at me blankly like they didn't get the joke.**

Leo snickered.

**As soon as the last campers had filed in, I led Tyson into the middle of the pavilion. Conversations faltered. Heads turned. "Who invited **_**that?**_**" somebody at the Apollo table murmured.**

Artemis gave her brother a look and Apollo just shrugged.

**I glared in their direction, but I couldn't figure out who'd spoken.**

Hestia smiled faintly.

**From the head table a familiar voice drawled, "Well, well, if it isn't Peter Johnson. My millennium is complete."**

"Three guesses who that is and the first two don't count," Hermes drawled.

**I gritted my teeth.**_**"Percy Jackson**_**... sir."**

**Mr. D sipped his Diet Coke. "Yes. Well, as you young people say these days:**_**Whatever."**_

"Do you realize how old that makes you sound?" Leo sniggered.

"Do you realize how old I _am_?" Dionysus retorted with a scoff.

"Something like thirty-five hundred years old, right?"

Dionysus' eyebrows raised and there was a brief moment of stunned silence.

"What?" Leo pouted, "I know some stuff!"

Jason snickered and reached up to muss up Leo's hair. "Way to go, genius," he teased with a laugh.

**He was wearing his usual leopard-pattern Hawaiian shirt, walking shorts, and tennis shoes with black socks. With his pudgy belly and his blotchy red face, he looked like a Las Vegas tourist who'd stayed up too late in the casinos.**

Dionysus scoffed as a number of people snickered.

**Behind him, a nervous-looking satyr was peeling the skins off grapes and handing them to Mr. D one at a time. Mr. D's real name is Dionysus. The god of wine. Zeus appointed him director of Camp Half-Blood to dry out for a hundred years—a punishment for chasing some off-limits wood nymph.**

Dionysus sulked slightly and Zeus just raised a brow.

**Next to him, where Chiron usually sat (or stood, in centaur form), was someone I'd never seen before—a pale, horribly thin man in a threadbare orange prisoner's jump suit. The number over his pocket read 0001.**

"Looking horrible, isn't he," Apollo snorted, beginning to snigger.

**He had blue shadows under his eyes, dirty fingernails, and badly cut grey hair, like his last haircut had been done with a weed whacker. He stared at me; his eyes made me nervous. He looked ... fractured. Angry and frustrated and hungry all at the same time.**

"So he looks mad," Piper muttered.

"More like crazy," Leo told her.

Piper shot him a look. "Mad _means_ crazy."

"Only in old English," Leo replied, "or in Britain. Does this look like either to you?"

Piper huffed. "You knew what I meant."

Leo cracked up. "Yeah, I did. Sorry Pipes, but it was too tempting."

Piper grinned at that and shook her head.

**"This boy," Dionysus told him, "you need to watch. Poseidon's child, you know."**

Poseidon cocked a brow at his nephew.

**"Ah!" the prisoner said. "That one."**

**His tone made it obvious that he and Dionysus had already discussed me at length.**

"The majority of immortals have probably already discussed you at length," Apollo pointed out with a chuckle. "Shouldn't be surprised."

"I think the surprise here stems from the fact that he knows they have not spoken about anything good," Artemis remarked simply.

**"I am Tantalus," the prisoner said, smiling coldly. "On special assignment here until, well, until my Lord Dionysus decides otherwise. And you, Perseus Jackson, I **_**do **_**expect you to refrain from causing any more trouble."**

Annabeth huffed on that word, obviously irritated by Tantalus.

**"Trouble?" I demanded.**

**Dionysus snapped his fingers. A newspaper appeared on the table—the front page of today's **_**New York Post- **_**There was my yearbook picture from Meriwether Prep. It was hard for me to make out the headline, but I had a pretty good guess what it said.**

**Something like:**_**Thirteen-Year-Old Lunatic Torches Gymnasium.**_

"Damn," Apollo said, running a hand through his hair, "this kid cannot catch a break, can he?"

"He's a son of one of the Big Three," Nico replied dryly, "he's _never_ going to catch a break."

"Amen to that," Thalia snorted.

Zeus, Hades and Poseidon exchanged grim looks.

**"Yes, trouble," Tantalus said with satisfaction. "You caused plenty of it last summer, I understand."**

**I was too mad to speak. Like it was **_**my **_**fault the gods had almost gotten into a civil war?**

"Indeed," Poseidon gave both his brothers annoyed looks.

**A satyr inched forward nervously and set a plate of barbecue in front of Tantalus. The new activities director licked his lips. He looked at his empty goblet and said, "Root beer. Barq's special stock. 1967."**

"That is not going to work," Athena remarked simply.

"Why not?" Leo wanted to know.

"You shall see, son of Hephaestus."

**The glass filled itself with foamy soda. Tantalus stretched out his hand hesitantly, as if he were afraid the goblet was hot.**

**"Go on, then, old fellow," Dionysus said, a strange sparkle in his eyes. "Perhaps now it will work."**

"You know full well that it won't," Demeter sniffed.

"And your point?" Dionysus drawled, looking wholly unrepentant.

**Tantalus grabbed for the glass, but it scooted away before he could touch it.**

A number of people snickered.

**A few drops of root beer spilled, and Tantalus tried to dab them up with his fingers, but the drops rolled away like quicksilver before he could touch them.**

The snickering grew louder.

**He growled and turned toward the plate of barbecue. He picked up a fork and tried to stab a piece of brisket, but the plate skittered down the table and flew off the end, straight into the coals of the brazier.**

The majority of people were now laughing outright.

**"Blast!" Tantalus muttered.**

**"Ah, well," Dionysus said, his voice dripping with false sympathy.**

Dionysus didn't even bother to hide his nasty smirk.

**"Perhaps a few more days. Believe me, old chap, working at this camp will be torture enough. I'm sure your old curse will fade eventually."**

**"Eventually," muttered Tantalus, staring at Dionysus's Diet Coke. "Do you have any idea how dry one's throat gets after three thousand years?"**

"Out of curiosity," Leo remarked suddenly, "what was it that he did?"

"He attempted to feed us his son," Demeter replied flatly.

Leo turned a peculiar shade of pasty green. "I'm sorry I asked," he mumbled.

**"You're that spirit from the Fields of Punishment," I said. "The one who stands in the lake with the fruit tree hanging over you, but you can't eat or drink."**

**Tantalus sneered at me. "A real scholar, aren't you, boy?"**

**"You must've done something really horrible when you were alive," I said, mildly impressed.**

Apollo chortled and Hermes snickered.

**"What was it?"**

"Your son is going to get himself killed, Poseidon," Athena remarked, a faint glimmer of amusement in her eyes. "I believe his problem is that he's too much like you."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Poseidon remarked dryly.

**Tantalus's eyes narrowed. Behind him, the satyrs were shaking their heads vigorously, trying to warn me.**

"Not going to work," Nico remarked, a faint smirk on his mouth.

**"I'll be watching you, Percy Jackson," Tantalus said. "I don't want any problems at my camp."**

"Since when is it _your_ camp, you prig?" Thalia scoffed, crossing her arms.

**"**_**Your **_**camp has problems already ... sir."**

"You tell him, kid," Apollo cackled.

**"Oh, go sit down, Johnson," Dionysus sighed. "I believe that table over there is yours—the one where no one else ever wants to sit."**

"Which makes total sense as it's not like we're sorted by our parents," Annabeth remarked dryly, shaking her head briefly before turning back to the book.

**My face was burning, but I knew better than to talk back. Dionysus was an overgrown brat, but he was an immortal, super powerful overgrown brat.**

"Indeed," Poseidon commented simply, looking remarkably unimpressed.

**I said, "Come on, Tyson."**

**"Oh, no," Tantalus said. "The monster stays here. We must decide what to do with it."**

_**"Him," **_**I snapped. "His name is Tyson."**

Artemis nodded approvingly.

**The new activities director raised an eyebrow.**

**"Tyson saved the camp," I insisted. "He pounded those bronze bulls. Otherwise they would've burned down this whole place."**

"A valid point," Hestia said.

**"Yes," Tantalus sighed, "and **_**what **_**a pity that would've been."**

"I do not like the way he speaks of our children and their home," Demeter said flatly. "Lack of fibre, I reckon."

**Dionysus snickered.**

Demeter shot Dionysus an annoyed look.

**"Leave us," Tantalus ordered, "while we decide this creature's fate."**

**Tyson looked at me with fear in his one big eye, but I knew I couldn't disobey a direct order from the camp directors. Not openly, anyway.**

Poseidon grinned at that, uncaring of the annoyed look Zeus tossed him.

**"I'll be right over here, big guy," I promised. "Don't worry. We'll find you a good place to sleep tonight."**

**Tyson nodded. "I believe you. You are my friend."**

**Which made me feel a whole lot guiltier.**

"Why? He hasn't done anything wrong." Leo frowned.

**I trudged over to the Poseidon table and slumped onto the bench. A wood nymph brought me a plate of Olympian olive-and-pepperoni pizza, but I wasn't hungry.**

Annabeth chewed and her lower lip briefly.

**I'd been almost killed twice today. I'd managed to end my school year with a complete disaster. Camp Half-Blood was in serious trouble and Chiron had told me not to do anything about it.**

Nico grimaced and shook his head.

**I didn't feel very thankful, but I took my dinner, as was customary, up to the bronze brazier and scraped part of it into the flames.**

**"Poseidon," I murmured, "accept my offering."**

_**And send me some help while you're at it, **_**I prayed silently. **_**Please.**_

Poseidon's mouth quirked.

**The smoke from the burning pizza changed into something fragrant—the smell of a clean sea breeze with wild-flowers mixed in—but I had no idea if that meant my father was really listening.**

"Has it ever happened before?" Thalia said dryly. "If not, then that's a pretty good indicator."

**I went back to my seat. I didn't think things could get much worse. But then Tantalus had one of the satyrs blow the conch horn to get our attention for announcements.**

A couple of confused and grim looks were exchanged.

**"Yes, well," Tantalus said, once the talking had died down. "Another fine meal! Or so I am told." As he spoke, he inched his hand toward his refilled dinner plate, as if maybe the food wouldn't notice what he was doing, but it did. It shot away down the table as soon as he got within six inches.**

More than a few people laughed at that.

**"And here on my first day of authority," he continued, "I'd like to say what a pleasant form of punishment it is to be here. Over the course of the summer, I hope to torture, er, interact**

The gods with children who were most prominent at Camp Half-Blood looked vaguely annoyed.

**with each and every one of you children. You all look good enough to eat."**

**Dionysus clapped politely, leading to some halfhearted applause from the satyrs. Tyson was still standing at the head table, looking uncomfortable, but every time he tried to scoot out of the limelight, Tantalus pulled him back.**

The demigods looked annoyed and Poseidon's mouth was pulled down into a frown.

**"And now some changes!" Tantalus gave the campers a crooked smile. "We are reinstituting the chariot races!"**

"As I recall," Athena said, pinching the bridge of her nose, "those were disbanded for a _reason_."

**Murmuring broke out at all the tables—excitement, fear, disbelief.**

**"Now I know," Tantalus continued, raising his voice, "that these races were discontinued some years ago due to, ah, technical problems."**

**"Three deaths and twenty-six mutilations," someone at the Apollo table called.**

"Bet you it was my boy, Jamie," Apollo chuckled, "he's always like that."

"I am... impressed with the fact that you know that." Artemis admitted carefully.

Apollo threw her a grin. "I like my kids, they're awesome!"

**"Yes, yes!" Tantalus said. "But I know that you will all join me in welcoming the return of this camp tradition. Golden laurels will go to the winning charioteers each month. Teams may register in the morning! The first race will be held in three days time. We will release you from most of your regular activities to prepare your chariots and choose your horses. Oh, and did I mention, the victorious team's cabin will have no chores for the month in which they win?"**

"Oh damn, that's going to be tempting," Leo remarked.

"What do you know," Piper teased, "you don't do chores."

Leo just grinned and winked at her.

**An explosion of excited conversation—no KP for a whole month? No stable cleaning?**

**Was he serious?**

**Then the last person I expected to object did so.**

Annabeth shook her head.

**"But, sir!" Clarisse said. She looked nervous, but she stood up to speak from the Ares table. Some of the campers snickered when they saw the YOU MOO, GIRL! sign on her back.**

Aphrodite shook her head.

**"What about patrol duty?**

Ares nodded approvingly, a faint smirk on his mouth.

**I mean, if we drop everything to ready our chariots—"**

**"Ah, the hero of the day," Tantalus exclaimed. "Brave Clarisse, who single-handedly bested the bronze bulls!"**

"There is no doubt that the girl did much," Athena remarked slowly, a disapproving look in her eyes, "and she certainly deserves to be praised. But she was not the turning factor in that battle."

"My daughter fought well," Ares grunted, "but she was not the only one on the field."

**Clarisse blinked, then blushed. "Um, I didn't—"**

Hestia smiled approvingly.

**"And modest, too." Tantalus grinned. "Not to worry, my dear! This is a summer camp. We are here to enjoy ourselves, yes?"**

"When we're not about to die, sure," Thalia muttered sarcastically.

**"But the tree—"**

**"And now," Tantalus said, as several of Clarisse's cabin mates pulled her back into her seat,**

Zeus scowled, not liking the way Tantalus was ignoring the issues with the camp.

"Note to the gods:" Hermes suddenly said, "don't put a guy with a grudge in charge of the camp. Especially not a guy with a grudge against the gods."

**"before we proceed to the campfire and sing-along, one slight housekeeping issue. Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase have seen fit, for some reason, to bring **_**this **_**here."**

Athena and Poseidon both shot Dionysus annoyed looks.

**Tantalus waved a hand toward Tyson.**

**Uneasy murmuring spread among the campers. A lot of sideways looks at me. I wanted to kill Tantalus.**

"His temper is acting up," Artemis didn't look very surprised, nor impressed.

**"Now, of course," he said, "Cyclopes have a reputation for being blood thirsty monsters with a very small brain capacity. Under normal circumstances, I would release this beast into the woods and have you hunt it down with torches and pointed sticks.**

Poseidon's jaw tightened.

**But who knows? Perhaps this Cyclops is not as horrible as most of its brethren.**

"He's not," Nico said simply.

**Until it proves worthy of destruction, we need a place to keep it! I've thought about the stables, but that will make the horses nervous. Hermes's cabin, possibly?"**

The look on Hermes' face was downright _terrifying_ in it's anger and irritation. His snakes, Martha and George, began to hiss furiously.

**Silence at the Hermes table. Travis and Connor Stoll developed a sudden interest in the tablecloth. I couldn't blame them. The Hermes cabin was always full to bursting. There was no way they could take in a six-foot-three Cyclops.**

"And if gods actually started claiming the brats that they sired, then there wouldn't be such a problem," Hermes seethed.

**"Come now," Tantalus chided. "The monster may be able to do some menial chores. Any suggestions as to where such a beast should be kennelled?"**

Artemis grit her teeth.

**Suddenly everybody gasped.**

**Tantalus scooted away from Tyson in surprise. All I could do was stare in disbelief at the brilliant green light that was about to change my life—a dazzling holographic image that had appeared above Tyson's head.**

"Finally," Zeus muttered, Hera shot him an annoyed look.

**With a sickening twist in my stomach, I remembered what Annabeth had said about Cyclopes, **_**They're the children of nature spirits and gods ... Well, one god in particular, usually…**_

Poseidon just shrugged. In all fairness, Percy _had_ asked for help...

**Swirling over Tyson was a glowing green trident—the same symbol that had appeared above me the day Poseidon had claimed me as his son.**

**There was a moment of awed silence.**

**Being claimed was a rare event. Some campers waited in vain for it their whole lives.**

"Ouch," Leo winced, "can you just imagine how _pissed_ they must be right now?"

"That is an excellent point," Thalia grimaced, "it means that now people are going to take their anger out on Percy and Tyson and anyone involved with them."

"Which means Annabeth," Aphrodite half-sang. The girl ignored her in favour of reading the book.

**When I'd been claimed by Poseidon last summer, everyone had reverently knelt.** **But now, they followed Tantalus's lead, and Tantalus roared with laughter. "Well! I think we know where to put the beast now. By the gods, I can see the family resemblance!"**

"I wonder if Tantalus realizes that he just insulted a god?" Demeter hummed offhandedly. "I mean, did we not already discuss how much Percy supposedly looks like Poseidon? If that's the case then-"

"We get it, sister," Poseidon said dryly. "Just know that I'm honestly considering going to have a chat with Tantalus."

"If you're not careful, brother," Hades drawled, looking vaguely amused, "you're going to lose your reputation for being the most easy going of us three. First the despicable human and now Tantalus?"

Poseidon shrugged. "It'd be worth it."

**Everybody laughed except Annabeth and a few of my other friends.**

**Tyson didn't seem to notice. He was too mystified, trying to swat the glowing trident that was now fading over his head. He was too innocent to understand how much they were making fun of him, how cruel people were.**

Nobody looked amused or impressed at that.

**But I got it.**

**I had a new cabin mate. I had a monster for a half-brother.**

"Chapter," Annabeth stated.

"I've got it," Hermes replied. "Chapter six: Demon Pigeons Attack."

* * *

And here we are.

I've got a philosophy essay due and a religion isu to do... Expect an update sometime to the end of this week (like... Friday or something).

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	33. Chapter 33

**Demon Pigeons Attack**

"Cheery," Apollo snorted.

**The next few days were torture, just like Tantalus wanted.**

Poseidon looked unimpressed and gave his nephew a pointedly annoyed look.

**First there was Tyson moving into the Poseidon cabin, giggling to himself every fifteen seconds and saying, "Percy is my brother?" like he'd just won the lottery.**

"That's kind of sweet, actually," Piper admitted. "It could've been worse."

"Tyson took it best of everyone," Annabeth told her, "I think Percy struggled with the idea for a bit too."

**"Aw, Tyson," I'd say. "It's not that simple."**

**But there was no explaining it to him. He was in heaven. And me ... as much as I liked the big guy, I couldn't help feeling embarrassed. Ashamed. There, I said it.**

Hestia tilted her head slightly in thought.

**My father, the all-powerful Poseidon, had gotten moony-eyed for some nature spirit, and Tyson had been the result.**

"Well," Poseidon sounded more amused than anything, "that is one way of putting it."

"One cannot choose their blood," Artemis said simply. "But they can choose their family."

"Um, I hope you don't take this the wrong way," Piper replied, flinching slightly when the silver-yellow gaze turned on her, "but... that doesn't make much sense. -To me, at least."

Artemis didn't look offended, if anything she looked approving. "My twin, daughter of Aphrodite, is frustrating and annoying and embarrassing on the best of days. In that sense, he is my blood. But he is forever optimistic, and cheerful, and true. And for that reason, he is my family."

"That, dovey," Apollo said, giving his sister a fond grin, "is Artemis's way of saying 'you're a pain in the ass, bro, but I love you anyways.'"

"Indeed," Artemis had just the barest hint of a smile on her mouth, "but that does not stop you from being insufferable."

Apollo just cackled.

**I mean, I'd read the myths about Cyclopes. I even remembered that they were often Poseidon's children. But I'd never really processed that this made them my... family.**

"Then obvious you haven't thought this through very well," Dionysus scoffed.

**Until I had Tyson living with me in the next bunk.**

"That would work as a wake-up call," Jason remarked dryly.

**And then there were the comments from the other campers. Suddenly, I wasn't Percy Jackson, the cool guy who'd retrieved Zeus's lightning bolt last summer. Now I was Percy Jackson, the poor schmuck with the ugly monster for a brother.**

"I think they were more taking the time to make all the monster jokes they could," Annabeth said flatly.

**"He's not my _real _brother!" I protested whenever Tyson wasn't around. "He's more like a half-brother on the monstrous side of the family. Like ... a half-brother twice removed, or something."**

**Nobody bought it.**

"Well, I can't exactly see how they would," Apollo said, cocking a brow. "For someone who's so loyal, he's really not doing a good job of it right now."

"Because, as the god of poets, you're doing so well with your own poetry," Hermes drawled.

"Exactly!"

Hermes rolled his eyes.

"I don't think it had anything to do with Tyson," Annabeth said slowly, "I think it was more that Percy felt like he was being compared to Tyson. It wasn't the fact that Tyson was his brother or that they were related, but the fact that he felt they were being compared."

"And what is wrong with being compared to Tyson?" Athena countered simply.

Annabeth shrugged. "The same thing that's wrong with being compared to anyone. They're not you."

**I admit—I was angry at my dad.**

Poseidon slowly sat back, trying to ignore the tight feeling in his chest.

**I felt like being his son was now a joke. Annabeth tried to make me feel better. She suggested we team up for the chariot race to take our minds off our problems. Don't get me wrong—we both hated Tantalus and we were worried sick about camp—but we didn't know what to do about it.**

"Start a rebellion," Apollo crowed.

"Twin, they could hardly start a rebellion," Artemis rolled her eyes. "They're just children."

"No excuse," Apollo retorted cheerily.

**Until we could come up with some brilliant plan to save Thalia's tree,**

"Thalia _is_ the tree."

"I'm sitting right here, Leo."

"_Soooo_ not the point."

**we figured we might as well go along with the races. After all, Annabeth's mom, Athena, had invented the chariot, and my dad had created horses. Together we would _own _that track.**

Athena and Poseidon exchanged amused looks.

"Would not," Ares scoffed, "my kids are going to rock that track!"

"We'll see about that," Apollo snorted.

"I am sorry to inform you, but unfortunately," Athena remarked, "Percy does have a point. The two of them have a significant advantage over the other groups."

**One morning Annabeth and I were sitting by the canoe lake sketching chariot designs when some jokers from Aphrodite's cabin walked by and asked me if I needed to borrow some eyeliner for my eye ... "Oh sorry, _eyes."_**

Aphrodite cocked a brow. "Well, I certainly don't approve of _that_."

"Yes, well, I don't think they care," Piper muttered.

Aphrodite shot her daughter a confused frown at that, but Piper didn't respond.

**As they walked away laughing, Annabeth grumbled, "Just ignore them, Percy. It isn't your fault you have a monster for a brother."**

"He's not going to take that lightly," Leo hummed.

**"He's _not _my brother!" I snapped. "And he's not a monster, either!"**

"There's that loyalty you were searching for, Apollo," Demeter remarked.

**Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "Hey, don't get mad at me! And technically, he _is _a monster."**

"Is that racist? Can I call racism on that?" Leo wanted to know.

**"Well _you _gave him permission to enter the camp."**

**"Because it was the only way to save your life! I mean ... I'm sorry, Percy, I didn't expect Poseidon to _claim _him.**

Poseidon didn't react, but he did give a particularly annoyed look to anyone who glanced at him.

**Cyclopes are the most deceitful, treacherous—"**

"Ooh, anger," Apollo snorted.

**"He is not! What have you got against Cyclopes, anyway?"**

Thalia and Annabeth both winced.

**Annabeth's ears turned pink. I got the feeling there was something she wasn't telling me—something bad.**

"Something that includes Thalia, by the look of things," Hades drawled, eyeing both girls closely.

**"Just forget it," she said. "Now, the axle for this chariot—"**

**"You're treating him like he's this horrible thing," I said. "He saved my life."**

"Is it just me, or is Percy acting a touch mercurial?"

"Thank you!" Apollo exclaimed, tossing his hands up.

**Annabeth threw down her pencil and stood. "Then maybe you should design a chariot with _him._"**

**"Maybe I should."**

**"Fine!"**

**"Fine!"**

"What were you saying about that advantage, Athena?" Ares snickered.

"Ares, do desist speaking."

**She stormed off and left me feeling even worse than before.**

Aphrodite's eyebrows raised and a smug smile crossed her mouth.

**The next couple of days, I tried to keep my mind off my problems. Silena Beauregard, one of the nicer girls from Aphrodite's cabin, gave me my first riding lesson on a pegasus.**

Aphrodite beamed at that, though she didn't quite understand why Thalia, Annabeth, and Nico looked so grim.

**She explained that there was only one immortal winged horse named Pegasus, who still wandered free somewhere in the skies, but over the eons he'd sired a lot of children, none quite so fast or heroic, but all named after the first and greatest.**

Annabeth wondered for a split second if Percy remembered Blackjack.

**Being the son of the sea god, I never liked going into the air.**

"Neither do I," Nico groaned.

Hades and Poseidon both shot Zeus irritated looks.

**My dad had this rivalry with Zeus, so I tried to stay out of the lord of the sky's domain as much as possible. But riding a winged horse felt different. It didn't make me nearly as nervous as being in an airplane. Maybe that was because my dad had created horses out of sea foam, so the pegasi were sort of ... neutral territory.**

"More or less," Zeus said sourly.

Poseidon just chuckled.

**I could understand their thoughts. I wasn't surprised when my pegasus went galloping over the treetops or chased a flock of seagulls into a cloud.**

"Would make things rather convenient, wouldn't it," Thalia shook her head. "Nico, why does it feel like Percy is stronger than us?"

"Because he is," Nico drawled.

At the looks Hades and Zeus shot at him, Poseidon merely grinned.

**The problem was that Tyson wanted to ride the "chicken ponies," too, but the pegasi got skittish whenever he approached. I told them telepathically that Tyson wouldn't hurt them, but they didn't seem to believe me. That made Tyson cry.**

"Which is actually more horrible than it sounds," Annabeth grimaced, "as that means he'll just plunk himself down wherever he's at and refuse to move. His crying also sounds like a train through a megaphone."

"Kudos to Percy for being able to make him stop," Jason chuckled. "Sounds like quite the Herculean task."

Apollo and Hermes snorted.

**The only person at camp who had _no _problem with Tyson was Beckendorf from the Hephaestus cabin.**

Leo crowed in triumph whereas Hephaestus merely chuckled.

**The blacksmith god had always worked with Cyclopes in his forges, so Beckendorf took Tyson down to the armoury to teach him metalworking. He said he'd have Tyson crafting magic items like a master in no time.**

"Which he did," Annabeth admitted easily. "Beckendorf... was a really brilliant metalworker."

Hephaestus, unlike most in the room, did _not_ miss the past-tense and frowned deeply. His beard twitching in irritation and sparking more than usual.

**After lunch, I worked out in the arena with Apollo's cabin. Swordplay had always been my strength.**

"He's good, there's no denying that," Nico commented, "the only difficulty is that he never has anyone to practice against."

"What do you mean?" Ares frowned.

"Well," Nico shot Thalia and Annabeth sideways looks, "I mean, Percy is skilled. I mean, he did get a shot on you, after all. But the thing is that with the kids at camp... he rarely ever goes against them hard."

"That's one area I missed," Annabeth added. "Percy also teaches advanced sword-training to the other campers."

Nico nodded. "Exactly. But even with the Athena kids and the Ares kids; they're the best two cabins at sword-fighting."

"Besides Percy, obviously," Thalia remarked, "but as he -and Tyson- are the only two in the cabin, that's kind of cheating."

"Plus, kids of the Big Three are always better at fighting and stuff," Jason added.

"In any case," Nico continued, "he can never go full-tilt at the other campers. But what makes it worse is the fact that he can't test how well he can fight when doused in water."

"So, basically, he's better than the others without going full-strength. But even if he weren't, it wouldn't matter because in water he's even stronger," Ares summed up. "Heh. Give the kid to me, I'll teach him."

**People said I was better at it than any camper in the last hundred years, except maybe Luke. People always compared me to Luke.**

Hermes had a far-away look in his eyes.

**I thrashed the Apollo guys easily.**

Apollo pouted.

**I should've been testing myself against the Ares and Athena cabins, since they had the best sword fighters, but I didn't get along with Clarisse and her siblings, and after my argument with Annabeth, I just didn't want to see her.**

Annabeth began to roll her eyes, but then stopped. She hadn't reacted much better.

**I went to archery class, even though I was terrible at it,**

Poseidon couldn't help but chortle at that, making a number of others laugh as well.

**and it wasn't the same without Chiron teaching. In arts and crafts, I started a marble bust of Poseidon,but it started looking like Sylvester Stallone, so I ditched it.**

Those that hadn't laughed beforehand were certainly laughing now; Poseidon, notably, being the loudest. Even Athena had a sparkle of amusement glittering in her eye.

**I scaled the climbing wall in full lava-and-earthquake mode.**

Jason whistled low. "Damn, fast reflexes. You'd think he'd be more lethargic. What with water being slower and all."

"Hey Jason," Piper grinned at him, "go outrun a tsunami."

"You-" Jason paused before giving a short laugh, "touché, Pipes."

**And in the evenings, I did border patrol. Even though Tantalus had insisted we forget trying to protect the camp, some of the campers had quietly kept it up, working out a schedule during our free times.**

"Good," Ares nodded approvingly. "Punks got some brains."

**I sat at the top of Half-Blood Hill and watched the dryads come and go, singing to the dying pine tree. Satyrs brought their reed pipes and played nature magic songs, and for a while the pine needles seemed to get fuller. The flowers on the hill smelled a little sweeter and the grass looked greener. But as soon as the music stopped, the sickness crept back into the air.**

Zeus grimaced angrily, his eyes darting back to his daughter. Thalia caught his eye and, unbeknownst to anyone else, the two had a silent conversation conveyed mostly through expressions. Thalia would raise a brow, and Zeus would raise his right back; her chin came up defiantly and he steepled his fingers in front of his face, both brows rising now. Her eyes narrowed and he tilted his head. Then, without warning, a small half-grin cracked through Thalia's facade and Zeus returned it in a fond smirk.

**The whole hill seemed to be infected, dying from the poison that had sunk into the tree's roots. The longer I sat there, the angrier I got.**

"Look out," Apollo remarked dryly.

**Luke had done this.**

**I remembered his sly smile, the dragon-claw scar across his face. He'd pretended to be my friend, and the whole time he'd been Kronos' number-one servant.**

Hermes brow furrowed but he continued reading.

**I opened the palm of my hand. The scar Luke had given me last summer was fading, but I could still see it—a white asterisk-shaped wound where his pit scorpion had stung me.**

Annabeth looked up at the ceiling. She remembered a time where she would be sitting on her bunk in the Athena cabin, immersed in Daedalus' laptop. She remembered her back aching from being hunched over and a migraine beginning to pound in her temple when hands suddenly closed over her eyes. Those hands with that faint asterisk-shaped scar on the palm of his left; she'd be pulled back into a firm chest and a warm voice rumbling in her ear. She remembered how all of the tension would suddenly leave and everything would feel okay again...

A different hand, smaller and more nimble than strong reached over to grip her hand. Annabeth looked up into Thalia's face; and despite her gratitude for Thalia's attempts, she couldn't help but wish that those electric blue eyes were sea-green.

**I thought about what Luke had told me right before he'd tried to kill me: _Good-bye, Percy. There is a new Golden Age coming. You won't be part of it._**

Zeus scoffed and muttered something irritably under his breath.

**At night, I had more dreams of Grover. Sometimes, I just heard snatches of his voice. Once, I heard him say: _It's here. _Another time: _He likes sheep. _I thought about telling Annabeth about my dreams, but I would've felt stupid. I mean, _He likes sheep? _She would've thought I was crazy.**

"Too late for that, seaweed brain," Annabeth grinned weakly, though she was afraid it came out more like a grimace.

She vaguely caught the flash of Aphrodite's sharp, multicoloured gaze as it shot to her; but she couldn't bring herself to care. If she had, she would've noted how Aphrodite's gaze suddenly turned sorrowful under the weight of Annabeth's terrible, painful heartache.

**The night before the race, Tyson and I finished our chariot. It was wicked cool. Tyson had made the metal parts in the armoury's forges. I'd sanded the wood and put the carriage together. It was blue and white, with wave designs on the sides and a trident painted on the front.**

Poseidon's mouth quirked.

**After all that work, it seemed only fair that Tyson would ride shotgun with me, though I knew the horses wouldn't like it, and Tyson's extra weight would slow us down.**

"That's kind of him," Hestia commented, a faint smile on her mouth.

**As we were turning in for bed, Tyson said, "You are mad?"**

**I realized I'd been scowling. "Nah. I'm not mad."**

"Not at him, in any case," Leo remarked.

**He lay down in his bunk and was quiet in the dark. His body was way too long for his bed. When he pulled up the covers, his feet stuck out the bottom. "I am a monster."**

"Well, technically yes," Apollo said, looking vaguely sympathetic, "but you're the _good_ kind of monster, kiddo."

"Everyone has a bit of monster in them," Piper said simply, her gaze honest, "we just can't blame it on blood."

"Well said, dove," Aphrodite praised softly.

**"Don't say that."**

**"It is okay. I will be a _good _monster. Then you will not have to be mad."**

It felt like a blanket had covered the room, leaving it feeling muffled and quiet.

**I didn't know what to say. I stared at the ceiling and felt like I was dying slowly, right along with Thalia's tree.**

Thalia's mouth quirked, but there was no mirth in her smile.

**"It's just... I never had a half-brother before." I tried to keep my voice from cracking. "It's really different for me. And I'm worried about the camp. And another friend of mine, Grover ... he might be in trouble. I keep feeling like I should be doing something to help, but I don't know what."**

"And Tyson feels like the straw that broke the camel's back," Athena said quietly, "since he -in comparison- is the smallest problem."

"Never thought I'd hear the terms cyclops and small in the same sentence," Apollo joked weakly.

"In all fairness, you didn't," surprisingly, it was Artemis who said this. The tug of her mouth making her look more like her twin than ever, "you heard Tyson and small in the same sentence."

Apollo grinned truly at that. "And you call _me_ a smart-ass."

"Of course not," Artemis scoffed teasingly, the tension lightening, "that would imply that you're intelligent."

Apollo laughed outright at that.

**Tyson said nothing.**

**"I'm sorry," I told him. "It's not your fault. I'm mad at Poseidon. I feel like he's trying to embarrass me, like he's trying to compare us or something, and I don't understand why."**

Poseidon merely shook his head. That had not been his intent at all.

**I heard a deep rumbling sound. Tyson was snoring.**

**I sighed. "Good night, big guy."**

**And I closed my eyes, too.**

Annabeth grimaced and resituated to sit cross-legged on the couch.

**In my dream, Grover was wearing a wedding dress.**

Apollo had a very sudden coughing fit.

**It didn't fit him very well. The gown was too long and the hem was caked with dried mud. The neckline kept falling off his shoulders. A tattered veil covered his face.**

Leo grinned broadly at the mental image.

**He was standing in a dank cave, lit only by torches. There was a cot in one corner and an old-fashioned loom in the other, a length of white cloth half woven on the frame.**

"Is anyone else vaguely reminded of the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale?" Piper asked randomly.

"Actually... yes," Thalia chuckled.

**And he was staring right at me, like I was a TV program he'd been waiting for. "Thank the gods!" he yelped. "Can you hear me?"**

Dionysus cocked a brow. The satyr could connect with the boy...? Curious...

**My dream-self was slow to respond.**

"Well, yeah," Leo nodded, "I mean... it _is_ a dream to you, after all. You're obviously going to be a bit more... lethargic, I guess."

**I was still looking around, taking in the stalactite ceiling, the stench of sheep and goats, the growling and grumbling and bleating sounds that seemed to echo from behind a refrigerator-sized boulder, which was blocking the room's only exit, as if there were a much larger cavern beyond it.**

"Oh, there's certainly _something_ beyond that boulder," Annabeth grimaced.

**"Percy?" Grover said. "Please, I don't have the strength to project any better. You _have _to hear me!"**

"Last ditch effort," Apollo remarked.

**"I hear you," I said. "Grover, what's going on?"**

**From behind the boulder, a monstrous voice yelled, "Honeypie! Are you done yet?"**

**Grover flinched. He called out in falsetto, "Not quite, dearest! A few more days!"**

"The absurdity of this situation makes me giggle," Leo deadpanned, making Jason crack up.

**"Bah! Hasn't it been two weeks yet?"**

**"N-no, dearest. Just five days. That leaves twelve more to go."**

"Quite the mathematician," Athena remarked idly.

"I'm pretty sure Grover did it on purpose," Apollo pointed out.

"I am aware."

**The monster was silent, maybe trying to do the math. He must've been worse at arithmetic than I was, because he said, "All right, but hurry! I want to SEEEEE under that veil, heh-heh-heh."**

"Can I throw up now?" Leo made a face. "Seriously, dude, gross."

**Grover turned back to me. "You have to help me! No time! I'm stuck in this cave. On an island in the sea."**

"Specific."

**"_Where?"_**

**"I don't know exactly! I went to Florida and turned left."**

"Oh yeah, I know where that is," Apollo snorted, "next to that one wave with the white on it?"

"Oh definitely," Hermes nodded sagely, "right across that one horizon with all the blue in it."

"Underneath that sun-thing?"

"Mhmm, over top of the sandy bit."

"Oh yeah, I know _exactly_ where that is."

**"What? How did you—"**

**"It's a trap!" Grover said. "It's the reason no satyr has ever returned from this quest.**

Dionysus looked up sharply.

**He's a shepherd, Percy! And he _has _it. Its nature magic is _so _powerful it smells just like the great god Pan! The satyrs come here thinking they've found Pan, and they get trapped and eaten by Polyphemus!"**

"The Fleece?" Athena blinked. "He's found the Fleece?"

"The Golden Fleece?" Apollo sounded surprise. "Well... hot damn. That does explain a lot, doesn't it?"

"I'd say," Artemis murmured.

**"Poly-who?"**

Athena quirked a brow. "Twould be smart of Percy to read up on these legends, especially as it seems that they follow him. He needs to know as much as possible."

"He does read them," Annabeth remarked, "he just has trouble remembering them."

"Then he ought to push through. Tis practical."

**"The Cyclops!" Grover said, exasperated. "I almost got away. I made it all the way to St. Augustine."**

**"But he followed you," I said, remembering my first dream. "And trapped you in a bridal boutique."**

**"That's right," Grover said. "My first empathy link must've worked then.**

"An empathy link?" Poseidon blinked. "He's formed an empathy link with Percy?"

"So it would seem," Hades drawled.

**Look, this bridal dress is the only thing keeping me alive. He thinks I smell good, but I told him it was just goat-scented perfume. Thank goodness he can't see very well. His eye is still half blind from the last time somebody poked it out.**

Athena smiled mysteriously.

**But soon he'll realize what I am. He's only giving me two weeks to finish the bridal train, and he's getting impatient!"**

**"Wait a minute. This Cyclops thinks you're—"**

**"Yes!"**

Apollo choked on his laughter, practically doubling over in an attempt to stop himself from laughing and interrupting.

**Grover wailed. "He thinks I'm a lady Cyclops and he wants to marry me!"**

**Under different circumstances, I might've bursted out laughing,**

Obviously Apollo (and Hermes, judging by the redness of his face) had absolutely no qualms in doing just that.

**but Grover's voice was deadly serious. He was shaking with fear.**

**"I'll come rescue you," I promised. "Where are you?"**

**"The Sea of Monsters, of course!"**

**"The sea of _what?"_**

Athena cocked a brow.

**"I told you! I don't know exactly where! And look, Percy ... urn, I'm really sorry about this, but this empathy link ... well, I had no choice. Our emotions are connected now. If I die..."**

Poseidon looked wholly unamused.

**"Don't tell me, I'll die too."**

**"Oh, well, perhaps not. You might live for years in a vegetative state. But, uh, it would be a lot better if you got me out of here."**

"Oh, yeah, just a reminder from your friendly neighbourhood goat-boy," Leo sniggered.

**"Honeypie!" the monster bellowed. "Dinner time! Yummy yummy sheep meat!"**

**Grover whimpered. "I have to go. Hurry!"**

**"Wait! You said 'it' was here. What?"**

**But Grover's voice was already growing fainter. "Sweet dreams. Don't let me die!"**

"Cheery," Jason remarked wryly.

**The dream faded and I woke with a start. It was early morning. Tyson was staring down at me, his one big brown eye full of concern.**

**"Are you okay?" he asked.**

**His voice sent a chill down my back, because he sounded almost exactly like the monster I'd heard in my dream.**

"That, ladies and gentlemen, is grade A creepy," Apollo remarked, pointing at the book.

**The morning of the race was hot and humid. Fog lay low on the ground like sauna steam. Millions of birds were roosting in the trees—fat grey-and-white pigeons, except they didn't coo like regular pigeons. They made this annoying metallic screeching sound that reminded me of submarine radar.**

"Right, title," Piper muttered. "I'd almost forgotten."

**The racetrack had been built in a grassy field between the archery range and the woods. Hephaestus's cabin had used the bronze bulls, which were completely tame since they'd had their heads smashed in, to plow an oval track in a matter of minutes.**

"Well, I reckon most things would become rather tame if you smashed their heads in," Apollo remarked dryly.

"Festus didn't," Leo remarked offhandedly, "in fact, he became just the opposite."

"And what manner of beast was this that you called 'happy'?" Athena asked, cocking a brow.

"A mechanical, fire-breathing dragon."

"And... you called him Happy."

"No, I called him Festus."

Athena exhaled very deliberately and pinched the bridge of her nose.

**There were rows of stone steps for the spectators— Tantalus, the satyrs, a few dryads, and all of the campers who weren't participating. Mr. D didn't show. He never got up before ten o'clock.**

"Cruel and unusual punishment," Dionysus muttered.

**"Right!" Tantalus announced as the teams began to assemble. A naiad had brought him a big platter of pastries, and as Tantalus spoke, his right hand chased a chocolate eclair across the judge's table.**

Apollo snickered.

**"You all know the rules. A quarter-mile track. Twice around to win. Two horses per chariot. Each team will consist of a driver and a fighter. Weapons are allowed. Dirty tricks are expected. But try not to kill anybody!"**

"This sounds incredibly safe," Athena remarked dryly.

"Is that a note of surrender, I hear?" Apollo asked innocently.

"Not in eternity," Athena replied, her eyes glittering.

**Tantalus smiled at us like we were all naughty children. "Any killing will result in harsh punishment. No s'mores at the campfire for a week!**

"Harsh punishment," Hades drawled.

**Now ready your chariots!"**

"Finally, some action!" Ares crowed.

**Beckendorf led the Hephaestus team onto the track. They had a sweet ride made of bronze and iron—even the horses, which were magical automatons like the Colchis bulls. I had no doubt that their chariot had all kinds of mechanical traps and more fancy options than a fully loaded Maserati.**

Apollo scoffed and Hephaestus smirked.

**The Ares chariot was blood red, and pulled by two grisly horse skeletons. Clarisse climbed aboard with a batch of javelins, spiked balls, caltrops, and a bunch of other nasty toys.**

Ares cackled.

**Apollo's chariot was trim and graceful and completely gold, pulled by two beautiful palominos. Their fighter was armed with a bow, though he had promised not to shoot regular pointed arrows at the opposing drivers.**

Apollo let out an ear-piercing whistle, heightening the anticipation in the room.

**Hermes's chariot was green and kind of old-looking, as if it hadn't been out of the garage in years. It didn't look like anything special, but it was manned by the Stoll brothers, and I shuddered to think what dirty tricks they'd schemed up.**

Hermes was grinning dangerously as he read this.

**That left two chariots: one driven by Annabeth, and the other by me.**

Athena looked rather smug. Poseidon just chuckled, a hint of something dangerous in his eyes.

**Before the race began, I tried to approach Annabeth and tell her about my dream. She perked up when I mentioned Grover, but when I told her what he'd said, she seemed to get distant again, suspicious.**

Annabeth winced faintly and Thalia nudged her.

"Come on, Anna," Thalia said, "you know Percy better than that!"

"I let my judgement become clouded," she admitted, "it was stupid of me, I know."

**"You're trying to distract me," she decided.**

**"What? No I'm not!"**

**"Oh, right! Like Grover would just happen to stumble across the _one _thing that could save the camp."**

"Lot of faith you're putting in Grover there too," Jason snorted.

**"What do you mean?"**

**She rolled her eyes. "Go back to your chariot, Percy."**

**"I'm not making this up. He's in trouble, Annabeth."**

Nico's brows raised. "There's a difference between having clouded judgement and not trusting a friend. From this angle, Annabeth, it really looks like you don't actually trust Percy."

"Of course I trust Percy!" Annabeth snapped.

"Now, you do," Nico replied mildly, the rebuke making Annabeth grimace and look away.

**She hesitated. I could tell she was trying to decide whether or not to trust me. Despite our occasional fights, we'd been through a lot together. And I knew she would never want anything bad to happen to Grover.**

Annabeth couldn't help but feel like she was being ousted by her friends at that. But the terrifying thing was that she knew exactly where they were coming from. Her pride was her downfall, she knew that. But she had never realized exactly _how_ prideful she was until faced with it; and what made it even worse was the fact that Percy bypassed it completely, whereas as she seemed to cling to every tiny fault she could find with him.

Maybe, just maybe, it had not been Percy she had been waiting to grow up and notice her. Perhaps, she had been subconsciously waiting for herself to grow a little too.

**"Percy, an empathy link is so hard to do. I mean, it's more likely you really were dreaming."**

**"The Oracle," I said. "We could consult the Oracle."**

"Now, you know he's serious," Thalia murmured. "Would have to be crazy to go there unless you were serious."

**Annabeth frowned.**

**Last summer, before my quest, I'd visited the strange spirit that lived in the Big House attic and it had given me a prophecy that came true in ways I'd never expected.**

"No one ever does," Apollo chuckled.

**The experience had freaked me out for months. Annabeth knew I'd never suggest going back there if I wasn't completely serious. Before she could answer, the conch horn sounded.**

**"Charioteers!" Tantalus called. "To your mark!"**

**"We'll talk later," Annabeth told me, _"after _I win."**

"Sounds just like her mother, doesn't she?" Poseidon asked casually, twirling his trident absentmindedly.

Athena shot him an irritated look.

**As I was walking back to my own chariot, I noticed how many more pigeons were in the trees now—screeching like crazy, making the whole forest rustle.**

"Something wicked this way comes," Nico murmured.

**Nobody else seemed to be paying them much attention, but they made me nervous.**

"If they are what I think they are; you damn well better be nervous," Hades scoffed.

"Cheerful, brother," Poseidon remarked dryly.

**Their beaks glinted strangely. Their eyes seemed shinier than regular birds. Tyson was having trouble getting our horses under control. I had to talk to them a long time before they would settle down.**

**_He's a monster, lord! _they complained to me.**

Nico mock-huffed and Thalia laughed at him.

**_He's a son of Poseidon, _I told them. _Just like ... well, just like me._**

"More or less," Zeus scoffed, cocking a brow.

"Why, brother," Hades said with mock-surprise, "that almost sounded like humour!"

"Hades." He growled in reply.

"Oh, my mistake then," he drawled in reply, rolling his eyes.

**_No! _They insisted. _Monster! Horse-eater! Not trusted!_**

**_I'll give you sugar cubes at the end of the race, _I said.**

_**Sugar cubes?**_

_**Very big sugar cubes. And apples. Did I mention the apples?**_

**Finally they agreed to let me harness them.**

A number of people chuckled at that.

**Now, if you've never seen a Greek chariot, it's built for speed, not safety or comfort.**

Ares snorted, folding his arms across his chest.

**It's basically a wooden basket, open at the back, mounted on an axle between two wheels. The driver stands up the whole time, and you can feel every bump in the road. The carriage is made of such light woodthat if you wipe out making the hairpin turns at either end of the track, you'll probably tip over and crush both the chariot and yourself.**

"Best. Game. Ever!" Apollo cheered.

**It's an even better rush than skate boarding.**

Annabeth grinned faintly.

**I took the reins and manoeuvred the chariot to the starting line. I gave Tyson a ten-foot pole and told him that his job was to push the other chariots away if they got too close, and to deflect anything they might try to throw at us.**

**"No hitting ponies with the stick," he insisted.**

"No, that would be bad," Jason chuckled.

**"No," I agreed. "Or people, either, if you can help it. We're going to run a clean race. Just keep the distractions away and let me concentrate on driving."**

"In this company?" Leo cackled. "_Sooo_ not going to happen!"

**"We will win." He beamed.**

**We are _so _going to lose, I thought to myself, but I _had _to try.**

Ares rolled his eyes and Apollo heard him mutter something about 'smelly zeroes'... or was that 'bloody heroes'? Either or.

**I wanted to show the others ... well, I wasn't sure what exactly. That Tyson wasn't such a bad guy? That I wasn't ashamed of being seen with him in public? Maybe that they hadn't hurt me with all their jokes and name-calling?**

"A touch late for that, boy," Hephaestus grunted.

**As the chariots lined up, more shiny-eyed pigeons gathered in the woods. They were screeching so loudly the campers in the stands were starting to take notice, glancing nervously at the trees, which shivered under the weight of the birds. Tantalus didn't look concerned, but he did have to speak up to be heard over the noise.**

"Git."

**"Charioteers!" he shouted. "Attend your mark!"**

**He waved his hand and the starting signal dropped. The chariots roared to life. Hooves thundered against the dirt. The crowd cheered.**

The gods with children in the race all straightened with anticipation.

**Almost immediately there was a loud nasty _crack! _I looked back in time to see the Apollo chariot flip over. The Hermes chariot had rammed into it—maybe by mistake, maybe not.**

Apollo spluttered incoherently and Hermes had to pause in his reading to cackle.

**The riders were thrown free, but their panicked horses dragged the golden chariot diagonally across the track. The Hermes team, Travis and Connor Stoll, were laughing at their good luck, but not for long. The Apollo horses crashed into theirs, and the Hermes chariot flipped too, leaving a pile of broken wood and four rearing horses in the dust.**

"HA!" Apollo exclaimed, flipping a rather rude gesture in Hermes' direction.

Hermes glowered at him as he continued to read.

**Two chariots down in the first twenty feet. I loved this sport.**

A number of people chuckled.

**I turned my attention back to the front. We were making good time, pulling ahead of Ares,**

Said god scowled.

**but Annabeth's chariot was way ahead of us.**

Athena looked rather smug.

**She was already making her turn around the first post, her javelin man grinning and waving at us, shouting: "See ya!"**

"I wouldn't get too cocky just yet," Poseidon chuckled.

**The Hephaestus chariot was starting to gain on us, too.**

The smith god smirked under his sparking beard.

**Beckendorf pressed a button, and a panel slid open on the side of his chariot.**

**"Sorry, Percy!" he yelled. Three sets of balls and chains shot straight toward our wheels.**

"Wicked!" Leo crowed.

**They would've wrecked us completely if Tyson hadn't whacked them aside with a quick swipe of his pole.**

Poseidon grinned.

**He gave the Hephaestus chariot a good shove and sent them skittering sideways while we pulled ahead.**

**"Nice work, Tyson!" I yelled.**

**"Birds!" he cried.**

"Here we go."

**"What?"**

**We were whipping along so fast it was hard to hear or see anything, but Tyson pointed toward the woods and I saw what he was worried about. The pigeons had risen from the trees. They were spiralling like a huge tornado, heading toward the track.**

**_No big deal, _I told myself. _They're just pigeons._**

"Kid, in this world, nothing is 'just' anything," Apollo remarked, still looking somewhat put-out from his early loss.

**I tried to concentrate on the race. We made our first turn, the wheels creaking under us, the chariot threatening to tip, but we were now only ten feet behind Annabeth. If I could just get a little closer, Tyson could use his pole….**

Athena was torn between focusing on the race and her mind whirling about the birds.

**Annabeth's fighter wasn't smiling now. He pulled a javelin from his collection and took aim at me. He was about to throw when we heard the screaming.**

"Not good," Piper said bleakly.

**The pigeons were swarming—thousands of them dive-bombing the spectators in the stands, attacking the other chariots. Beckendorf was mobbed.**

Leo frowned. He may not have known Beckendorf personally, but he sounded like a good guy. Plus, he _was_ his half-brother.

**His fighter tried to bat the birds away but he couldn't see anything. The chariot veered off course and plowed through the strawberry fields, the mechanical horses steaming.**

Dionysus hissed at the mention of his fields.

**In the Ares chariot, Clarisse barked an order to her fighter, who quickly threw a screen of camouflage netting over their basket.**

Ares cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, a look of concentration on his face as he listened; no doubt he was planning what he would have done in their situation.

**The birds swarmed around it, pecking and clawing at the fighter's hands as he tried to hold up the net, but Clarisse just gritted her teeth and kept driving.**

Her father nodded approvingly.

**Her skeletal horses seemed immune to the distraction. The pigeons pecked uselessly at their empty eye sockets and flew through their rib cages, but the stallions kept right on running.**

Poseidon grimaced; he hated hearing how his horses had been reduced to this...

**The spectators weren't so lucky. The birds were slashing at any bit of exposed flesh, driving everyone into a panic.**

"Ouch," Apollo winced.

**Now that the birds were closer, it was clear they weren't normal pigeons.**

"Obviously," Dionysus scoffed.

**Their eyes were beady and evil-looking. Their beaks were made of bronze, and judging from the yelps of the campers, they must've been razor sharp.**

**"Stymphalian birds!" Annabeth yelled. She slowed down and pulled her chariot alongside mine. "They'll strip everyone to bones if we don't drive them away!"**

"Indeed," Hades remarked.

**"Tyson," I said, "we're turning around!"**

**"Going the wrong way?" he asked.**

**"Always," I grumbled, but I steered the chariot toward the stands.**

A small few chuckled at that.

**Annabeth rode right next to me. She shouted, "Heroes, to arms!" But I wasn't sure anyone could hear her over the screeching of the birds and the general chaos.**

"Not good."

"You've said that already."

"I am well aware, little sister."

"Apollo, I'm older than you."

"Not the point."

"You are... ridiculous, you know that?"

"Yep."

**I held my reins in one hand and managed to draw Riptide as a wave of birds dived at my face, their metal beaks snapping. I slashed them out of the air and they exploded into dust and feathers, but there were still millions of them left. One nailed me in the back end and I almost jumped straight out of the chariot.**

"Ouch," Leo winced sympathetically.

**Annabeth wasn't having much better luck.**

**The closer we got to the stands, the thicker the cloud of birds became.**

**Some of the spectators were trying to fight back. The Athena campers were calling for shields. The archers from Apollo's cabin brought out their bows and arrows, ready to slay the menace, but with so many campers mixed in with the birds, it wasn't safe to shoot.**

"Obviously," Ares scoffed.

"Oh yeah, because it sounds like your kids are doing _so_ much," Apollo scoffed in reply. Ares shot him an annoyed look.

**"Too many!" I yelled to Annabeth. "How do you get rid of them?"**

**She stabbed at a pigeon with her knife. "Hercules used noise! Brass bells! He scared them away with the most horrible sound he could—" Her eyes got wide. "Percy ... Chiron's collection!"**

Hermes struggled to hide his guffaw at that. But quite a few people (especially those that knew Chiron well) found this just as hilarious.

**I understood instantly.**

Aphrodite smiled.

**"You think it'll work?"**

**She handed her fighter the reins and leaped from her chariot into mine like it was the easiest thing in the world. "To the Big House! It's our only chance!"**

"Your only chance was crappy music?" Thalia snickered.

"Hey!" Apollo protested, "there is no such thing as crappy music! Music is an expression and is unique to every individual; just because you don't like it doesn't mean you get to bash it."

"The lyrics are repetitive, unimaginative and boring; the beat is obvious, continuous and overplayed; and the singer isn't actually singing, they're using autotune," Leo deadpanned. "Boom. Instant craptacular music."

Apollo gave him a flat look.

**Clarisse has just pulled across the finish line, completely unopposed, and seemed to notice for the first time how serious the bird problem was.**

Ares looked irritated that it took her so long to notice the fight.

**When she saw us driving away, she yelled, "You're _running? _The fight is here, cowards!" She drew her sword and charged for the stands.**

"Strategy is a touch more important at this point," Athena remarked dryly.

**I urged our horses into a gallop. The chariot rumbled through the strawberry fields, across the volleyball pit, and lurched to a halt in front of the Big House. Annabeth and I ran inside, tearing down the hallway to Chiron's apartment. His boom box was still on his nightstand. So were his favourite CD's. I grabbed the most repulsive one I could find, Annabeth snatched the boom box, and together we ran back outside.**

"Good, fast and efficient," Artemis nodded approvingly. "The two of you are a good team."

Annabeth smiled faintly.

**Down at the track, the chariots were in flames. Wounded campers ran in every direction, with birds shredding their clothes and pulling out their hair, while Tantalus chased breakfast pastries around the stands, every once in a while yelling, "Everything's under control! Not to worry.'"**

"Remind me to shoot him in the arse," Apollo told Hermes offhandedly. "I don't like him. Didn't like him then; don't like him now."

"Amen," Hermes nodded before picking up where he left off.

**We pulled up to the finish line. Annabeth got the boom box ready. I prayed the batteries weren't dead.**

**I pressed PLAY and started up Chiron's favourite—the _All-Time Greatest Hits of Dean Martin. _Suddenly the air was filled with violins and a bunch of guys moaning in Italian.**

Apollo's expression pulled into an unimpressed look.

**The demon pigeons went nuts.**

**They started flying in circles, running into each other like they wanted to bash their own brains out. Then they abandoned the track altogether and flew skyward in a huge dark wave.**

"Creepy."

**"Now!" shouted Annabeth. "Archers!"**

**With clear targets, Apollo's archers had flawless aim.**

Apollo's expression cleared and he grinned again.

**Most of them could notch five or six arrows at once.**

"Wow," Piper blinked.

**Within minutes, the ground was littered with dead bronze-beaked pigeons, and the survivors were a distant trail of smoke on the horizon.**

"Good."

**The camp was saved, but the wreckage wasn't pretty. Most of the chariots had been completely destroyed. Almost everyone was wounded, bleeding from multiple bird pecks.**

"That's going to sting for a _long_ time," Jason grimaced. "Not much to do for bird pecks. Except clean 'em out and wrap the worst of it."

**The kids from Aphrodite's cabin were screaming because their hairdos had been ruined and their clothes pooped on.**

Anyone who looked like they so much as _thought_ to laugh, got an incredibly dirty look from Aphrodite; whereas her daughter just rolled her eyes.

**"Bravo!" Tantalus said, but he wasn't looking at me or Annabeth. "We have our first winner!" He walked to the finish line and awarded the golden laurels for the race to a stunned-looking Clarisse.**

"Really?" Demeter looked annoyed.

**Then he turned and smiled at me. "And now to punish the troublemakers who disrupted this race."**

"I'm going to drown him," Poseidon said flatly.

"No," Hades retorted, "that would allow him to eat-slash-drink."

"Point."

"Chapter's done," Hermes said, "next?"

"I have it," Demeter sniffed. "Chapter seven: I Accept Gifts from a Stranger."

* * *

Well... I did say late in the week and as it is Saturday (the fact that it's 2 in the morning is notwithstanding), technically I didn't miss my deadline.

You guys are awesome, did you know that? I don't say it enough, but it's true.

I'm tired. I'm going to go to sleep now.

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth

P.S I forgot: expect the next chapter sometime around... Tuesday or Wednesday. Ish.

P.P.S I also handed in my philosophy essay and managed to argue that Descartes' method of doubt was a brilliant idea but he applied it incorrectly. Aren't you guys proud of me? :D (My brain had imploded from writing that essay. Honestly, don't write that essay unless you have no choice.)


	34. Chapter 34

**I Accept Gifts from a Stranger**

"Didn't we learn what a bad idea that was from the last book?" Leo remarked with a snort.

"Obviously not," Jason replied dryly.

**The way Tantalus saw it, the Stymphalian birds had simply been minding their own ****business in the woods and would not have attacked if Annabeth, Tyson, and I hadn't disturbed them with our bad chariot driving.**

"Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this _is_ the person we've put in charge of our children," Apollo scoffed. "For the record? This is all Dad's fault."

Zeus' eye twitched in irritation at the name. "Do not call me that."

"As you wish, Father. But it's still your fault."

Zeus merely rolled his eyes. "I did not choose the replacement."

"There wasn't a need for a replacement," Athena reminded.

"Do not push me," he rumbled, his gaze dark.

Athena inclined her head, exchanging looks with Apollo.

**This was so completely unfair, I told Tantalus to go chase a doughnut,**

A number of people choked.

**which didn't help his mood.**

"No, I wouldn't think so," Hermes laughed.

**He sentenced us to kitchen patrol**

The demigods (minus Leo) all winced.

—**scrubbing pots and platters all afternoon in the underground kitchen with the cleaning harpies. The harpies washed with lava instead of water, to get that extra-clean sparkle and kill ninety-nine point nine percent of all germs, so Annabeth and I had to wear asbestos gloves and aprons.**

"Stylin'," Leo grinned.

"Shut up, firecracker," Annabeth snorted.

**Tyson didn't mind. He plunged his bare hands right in and started scrubbing, but Annabeth and I had to suffer through hours of hot, dangerous work, especially since there were tons of extra plates. Tantalus had ordered a special luncheon banquet to celebrate Clarisse's chariot victory—a full-course meal featuring country-fried Stymphalian death-bird.**

"And I bet he had chased his food all over the freaking place," Apollo sniggered.

**The only good thing about our punishment was that it gave Annabeth and me a common enemy and lots of time to talk. After listening to my dream about Grover again, she looked like she might be starting to believe me.**

Annabeth flinched.

**"If he's really found it," she murmured, "and if we could retrieve it—"**

**"Hold on," I said. "You act like this ... whatever-it-is Grover found is the only thing in the world that could save the camp. What **_**is **_**it?"**

"Really need to get him reading up on myths," Apollo remarked dryly.

**"I'll give you a hint. What do you get when you skin a ram?"**

**"Mess?"**

A number of people chuckled at that; even Annabeth grinned.

**She sighed. **_**"**_**A **_**fleece. **_**The coat of a ram is called a fleece. And if that ram happens to have ****golden wool—"**

**"The Golden Fleece. Are you serious?"**

"Oh, so he does know about the Fleece. Never mind then."

"Consider yourself: ignored," Hermes grinned mischievously.

**Annabeth scrapped a plateful of death-bird bones into the lava. "Percy, remember the Gray Sisters? They said they knew the location of the thing you seek. And they mentioned Jason.**

"Fascinating," Athena murmured. The majority of people now looking highly intrigued.

**Three thousand years ago, they told **_**him **_**how to find the Golden Fleece. You **_**do **_**know the story of Jason and the Argonauts?"**

"Who doesn't?" The hero's namesake asked wryly.

**"Yeah," I said. "That old movie with the clay skeletons."**

Apollo, Hermes, and Leo snickered.

**Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Oh my gods, Percy! You are so hopeless."**

"Frustrated much?" Thalia snickered.

"Hush," Annabeth rolled her eyes.

**"**_**What?" **_**I demanded.**

**"Just listen. The real story of the Fleece: there were these two children of Zeus, Cadmus and Europa, okay?**

"Europa? Like... Europe, Europa?" Leo wanted to know.

Hermes chuckled. "Where did you think it got it's name?"

**They were about to get offered up as human sacrifices, when they prayed to Zeus to save them.**

Hera's jaw tightened.

**So Zeus sent this magical flying ram with golden wool, which picked them up in Greece and carried them all the way to Colchis in Asia Minor. Well, actually it carried Cadmus. Europa fell off and died along the way, but that's not important."**

"I bet you that she didn't see it like that," Apollo remarked wryly.

**"It was probably important to her."**

"Hey! Look at that!"

**"The **_**point **_**is, when Cadmus got to Colchis, he sacrificed the golden ram to the gods and hung the Fleece in a tree in the middle of the kingdom. The Fleece brought prosperity to the land. Animals stopped getting sick. Plants grew better. Farmers had bumper crops. Plagues never visited.**

"Sounds pretty brilliant," Piper commented.

**That's why Jason wanted the Fleece. It can revitalize any land where it's placed. It cures sickness, strengthens nature, cleans up pollution—"**

**"It could cure Thalia's tree."**

"Is it then possible..." Athena mumbled, her eyes narrowed as she glanced at the demigod child of Zeus.

**Annabeth nodded. "And it would totally strengthen the borders of Camp Half-Blood. But Percy, the Fleece has been missing for centuries. Tons of heroes have searched for it with no luck."**

"Oh, I think they had plenty of luck," Nico muttered, "just none of it good."

"Story of my life," Leo chuckled amicably.

**"But Grover found it," I said. "He went looking for Pan and he found the Fleece instead because they both radiate nature magic. It makes sense, Annabeth. We can rescue him and save the camp at the same time. It's perfect!"**

"No such thing as perfect," Aphrodite hummed. "I ought to know."

**Annabeth hesitated. "A little **_**too **_**perfect, don't you think? What if it's a trap?"**

"A valid point," Athena remarked.

**I remembered last summer, how Kronos had manipulated our quest. He'd almost fooled us into helping him start a war that would've destroyed Western Civilization.**

At the mention, grim looks were exchanged.

**"What choice do we have?"**

"Depressing," Demeter commented, "but very true."

"I think it's becoming a fixture in these books," Apollo snorted.

**I asked. "Are you going to help me rescue Grover or not?"**

"Of course I was," Annabeth muttered, rolling her eyes fondly.

**She glanced at Tyson, who'd lost interest in our conversation and was happily making toy boats out of cups and spoons in the lava.**

**"Percy," she said under her breath, "we'll have to fight a Cyclops. Polyphemus, the **_**worst **_**of the Cyclopes.**

Athena couldn't help but smile faintly; the memory of Odysseus' success was a cheering one.

**And there's only one place his island could be. The Sea of Monsters."**

**"Where's that?"**

**She stared at me like she thought I was playing dumb.**

"Well, it's not a far stretch," Dionysus scoffed.

"Nephew," Poseidon cocked an unimpressed brow at him.

**"The Sea of Monsters. The same sea Odysseus sailed through, and Jason, and Aeneas, and all the others."**

"He didn't ask _what_ it was," Jason remarked flatly, "he asked _where_."

**"You mean the Mediterranean?"**

**"No. Well, yes ... but no."**

**"Another straight answer. Thanks."**

"I think I would've been snarkier if I were him," Apollo snorted. "At this point? He must be so sick of answers like that."

**"Look, Percy, the Sea of Monsters is the sea all heroes sail through on their adventures. It used to be in the Mediterranean, yes. But like everything else, it shifts locations as the West's centre of power shifts."**

"Yeah, yeah, get on with it," Ares rolled his eyes.

**"Like Mount Olympus being above the Empire State Building," I said. "And Hades being under Los Angeles."**

**"Right."**

**"But a whole sea full of monsters—how could you hide something like that? Wouldn't the mortals notice weird things happening ... like, ships getting eaten and stuff?"**

"...holy crap," Leo blinked in surprise. "Never made that connection."

"I think that's the idea," Piper grinned faintly.

**"Of course they notice. They don't understand, but they know something is strange about that part of the ocean. The Sea of Monsters is off the east coast of the U.S. now, just northeast of Florida.**

"Hence the dream," Jason remarked.

**The mortals even have a name for it."**

**"The Bermuda Triangle?"**

Leo grinned and nodded, giving Piper a high-five.

**"Exactly."**

**I let that sink in. I guess it wasn't stranger than anything else I'd learned since coming to Camp Half-Blood.**

A number of people chuckled at that.

**"Okay ... so at least we know where to look."**

**"It's still a huge area, Percy. Searching for one tiny island in monster-infested waters—"**

"The Grey Sisters..." Athena's eyes lit up.

**"Hey, I'm the son of the sea god. This is my home turf. How hard can it be?"**

Poseidon chuckled. "This much is true. But don't jinx it, Percy."

**Annabeth knit her eyebrows. "We'll have to talk to Tantalus, get approval for a quest. He'll say no."**

"Oh yes," Dionysus muttered, "that might be a touch difficult."

"Not necessarily," Hermes' eyes twinkled mischievously.

**"Not if we tell him tonight at the campfire in front of everybody. The whole camp will hear. They'll pressure him. He won't be able to refuse."**

"A good strategy," surprisingly, it was Hephaestus who said this.

**"Maybe." A little bit of hope crept into Annabeth's voice**_**.**_

Aphrodite beamed. "Good!"

**"We'd better get these dishes done. Hand me the lava spray gun, will you?"**

**That night at the campfire, Apollo's cabin led the sing-along.**

"But of course," Apollo gave an extravagant bow, which was fairly impressive seeing as how he was sitting.

**They tried to get everybody's spirits up, but it wasn't easy after that afternoon's bird attack. We all sat around a semicircle of stone steps, singing halfheartedly and watching the bonfire blaze while the Apollo guys strummed their guitars and picked their lyres.**

Hermes smirked, a hint of a memory in his mind, whilst Apollo grinned.

**We ****did****all the standard camp numbers: "Down by the Aegean," "I Am My Own Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandpa," "This Land is Minos's Land."**

Leo choked on his laughter at the last one, ducking slightly to hide his steadily-turning-red face.

**The bonfire was enchanted, so the louder you sang, the higher it rose, changing colour and heat with the mood of the crowd. On a good night, I'd seen it twenty feet high, bright purple, and so hot the whole front row's marshmallows burst into the flames. Tonight, the fire was only five feet high, barely warm, and the flames were the colour of lint.**

"That is so depressing..." Apollo groaned.

**Dionysus left early. After suffering through a few songs, he muttered something about how even pinochle with Chiron had been more exciting than this. Then he gave Tantalus a distasteful look and headed back toward the Big House.**

"I am utterly astonished that you decided to stick me with _him_," Dionysus muttered rebelliously. "Cruel and unusual punishment."

Zeus pinched the bridge of his nose. "This time, I assure you, I will not."

"Because Chiron isn't at fault," Thalia added quickly, "isn't that right, Father?"

"Thalia," he growled, "you are my daughter. But do _not_ test me."

"Might want to fall quiet quick, little sis," Apollo muttered to her. "Don't push him far."

**When the last song was over, Tantalus said, "Well, that was lovely!"**

**He came forward with a toasted marshmallow on a stick and tried to pluck it off, real casual-like. But before he could touch it, the marshmallow flew off the stick. Tantalus made a wild grab, but the marshmallow committed suicide, diving into the flames.**

"That marshmallow was a brave soul," Hermes sniffed dramatically.

"We shall have a camp fire in it's honour," Leo replied with mock-seriousness.

Apollo cackled in agreement, bouncing back from his previously dire mood.

**Tantalus turned back toward us, smiling coldly. "Now then! Some announcements about tomorrow's schedule."**

**"Sir," I said.**

**Tantalus's eye twitched. "Our kitchen boy has something to say?"**

Poseidon looked wholly unamused.

**Some of the Ares campers snickered, but I wasn't going to let anybody embarrass me into silence.**

Hestia nodded approvingly.

**I stood and looked at Annabeth. Thank the gods, she stood up with me.**

Annabeth smiled faintly.

**I said, "We have an idea to save the camp."**

**Dead silence, but I could tell I'd gotten everybody's interest, because the campfire flared bright yellow.**

"That's pretty cool," Jason remarked, looking faintly impressed.

"Don't worry, Roman, we'll teach you how to party," Thalia teased, messing up his hair.

"Shut up, Greek," he swatted at her, his voice fond.

**"Indeed," Tantalus said blandly. "Well, if it has anything to do with chariots—"**

"Dude, weak," Apollo scoffed.

**"The Golden Fleece," I said. "We know where it is."**

**The flames burned orange.**

"That must've been cool to see," Nico remarked quietly, "having the flames reflect what everyone is feeling."

**Before Tantalus could stop me, I blurted out my dream about Grover and Polyphemus's island.**

"Not sure if brave or reckless," Hades snorted.

**Annabeth stepped in and reminded everybody what the Fleece could do. It sounded more convincing coming from her.**

Annabeth rolled her eyes fondly. "It did not," she declared, "everyone was already on board at Percy's speech."

**"The Fleece can save the camp," she concluded. "I'm certain of it."**

**"Nonsense," said Tantalus. "We don't need saving."**

Zeus made a noise, deep in his throat, that was not quite a growl and not quite a roar but somewhere in between.

**Everybody stared at him until Tantalus started looking uncomfortable. "Besides," he added quickly, "the Sea of Monsters? That's hardly an exact location. You wouldn't even know where to look."**

Zeus' jaw clenched and his eyes flashed to his daughter.

**"Yes, I would," I said.**

Athena smiled mysteriously.

**Annabeth leaned toward me and whispered, "You would?"**

**I nodded, because Annabeth had jogged something in my memory when she reminded me about our taxi drive with the Gray Sisters. At the time, the information they'd given me made no sense. But now...**

"Coordinates," Apollo hummed idly.

**"30, 31, 75, 12," I said.**

**"Ooo-kay," Tantalus said. "Thank you for sharing those meaningless numbers."**

**"They're sailing coordinates," I said. "Latitude and longitude. I, uh, learned about it in social studies."**

"School is actually important?" Leo looked amused. "Well damn, who-da-thunk?"

Piper and Jason snickered.

**Even Annabeth looked impressed. "30 degrees, 31 minutes north, 75 degrees, 12 minutes west. He's right! The Gray Sisters gave us those coordinates. That'd be somewhere in the Atlantic, off the coast of Florida. The Sea of Monsters. We need a quest!"**

"Agreed," Athena said firmly.

"I think everyone does agree at this point," Nico pointed out casually.

"Indeed," Athena inclined her head.

**"Wait just a minute," Tantalus said. But the campers took up the chant. "We need a quest! We need a quest!"**

"That's it little dudes!" Apollo crowed. "Break it out!"

"And break that insufferable snot down," Dionysus added scathingly.

**The flames rose higher.**

**"It isn't necessary!" Tantalus insisted.**

Zeus made that odd noise once again.

**"WE NEED A QUEST! WE NEED A QUEST!"**

**"Fine!" Tantalus shouted, his eyes blazing with anger. "You brats want me to assign a quest?"**

"No shit, Sherlock," Apollo snorted.

**"YES!"**

**"Very well," he agreed. "I shall authorize a champion to undertake this perilous journey, to retrieve the Golden Fleece and bring it back to camp. Or die trying."**

The room scoffed at him.

**My heart filled with excitement. I wasn't going to let Tantalus scare me. This was what I needed to do. I was going to save Grover and the camp. Nothing would stop me.**

"Punk's getting a little arrogant," Ares scoffed.

"Not necessarily," Hestia defended softly, "it sounds more like he's a thirteen year old boy becoming excited that, perhaps, his friend will not die."

"He may be a boy, but he's still a hero," Ares retorted.

"The two do not cancel one another out," Hestia insisted, "they merely create a larger picture."

**"I will allow our champion to consult the Oracle!" Tantalus announced. "And choose two companions for the journey. And I think the choice of champion is obvious."**

"...I have a feeling that this is not going to be that easy," Hermes grimaced.

"I, unfortunately, have to agree," Artemis agreed, looking just as grim.

**Tantalus looked at Annabeth and me as if he wanted to flay us alive. "The champion should be one who has earned the camp's respect, who has proven resourceful in the chariot races and courageous in the defence of the camp. **_**You **_**shall lead this quest ... Clarisse!"**

Ares spluttered. "She's not qualified!"

"...dude, did your voice just crack?" Apollo gave him an incredulous look.

"No!"

"It _sooo_ did!"

"No, it did not!"

"Lover, you are adorable!" Aphrodite cooed, pressing her mouth to his cheek.

"Shut up," he grumbled.

**The fire flickered a thousand different colours. The Ares cabin started stomping and cheering, "CLARISSE! CLARISSE!"**

Ares glared at Apollo, and the other god just grinned innocently.

**Clarisse stood up, looking stunned. Then she swallowed, and her chest swelled with pride. "I accept the quest!"**

**"Wait!" I shouted. "Grover is my friend. The dream came to **_**me."**_

"Which does, logically, follow that it's his quest," Athena nodded slowly. "But... perhaps it is important for Clarisse to accept this quest. Fate works in mysterious ways, no?"

Apollo snorted.

**"Sit down!" yelled one of the Ares campers. "You had your chance last summer!"**

**"Yeah, he just wants to be in the spotlight again!" another said.**

"I don't think that's it at all," Jason remarked grimly.

**Clarisse glared at me. "I accept the quest!" she repeated. "I, Clarisse, daughter of Ares, will save the camp!"**

"She's not ready to do this," Ares said, his eyes burning brighter than normal.

"You don't know that," Aphrodite soothed. "Give her a chance, lover."

**The Ares campers cheered even louder. Annabeth protested, and the other Athena campers joined in.**

Athena nodded slowly. If Clarisse must go, then Percy and Annabeth must go with her, in Athena's mind.

**Everybody else started taking sides—shouting and arguing and throwing marshmallows.**

"Of course they did," Leo chuckled. "Greek democracy is awesome, isn't it?"

"Don't you mean 'democracy'?" Jason cocked a brow. "Greece was just the diving board."

"Meh, same thing."

"Not really."

**I thought it was going to turn into a full-fledged s'more war**

A couple of people chuckled.

**until Tantalus shouted, "Silence, you brats!"**

**His tone stunned even me. "Sit down!" he ordered. "And I will tell you a ghost story."**

"Why do I suddenly have the feeling..." Dionysus drawled slowly.

**I didn't know what he was up to, but we all moved reluctantly back to our seats. The evil aura radiating from Tantalus was as strong as any monster I'd ever faced.**

"Perhaps you should not have left, Dionysus," Artemis muttered, eyeing the book carefully.

**"Once upon a time there was a mortal king who was beloved of the Gods!" Tantalus put his hand on his chest, and I got the feeling he was talking about himself.**

The gods all had dark looks on their faces.

**"This king," he said, "was even allowed to feast on Mount Olympus. But when he tried to take some ambrosia and nectar back to earth to figure out the recipe—just one little doggie bag, mind you—**

"Tis irrelevant of quantity," Athena hissed, her eyes flashing, "you were not supposed to."

**the gods punished him. They banned him from their halls forever! His own people mocked him! His children scolded him!**

"Justly so," Hestia frowned.

**And, oh yes, campers, he had horrible children. Children—just—like— you."**

**He pointed a crooked finger at several people in the audience, including me.**

Poseidon's jaw clenched.

**"Do you know what he did to his ungrateful children?" Tantalus asked softly. "Do you know how he paid back the gods for their cruel punishment? He invited the Olympians to a feast at his palace, just to show there were no hard feelings. No one noticed that his children were missing. And when he served the gods dinner, my dear campers, can you guess what was in the stew?"**

Artemis made an enraged hissing noise and Hera looked ready to spit fire. All the gods were tense and looked furious; the demigods watching on warily.

**No one dared answer. The firelight glowed dark blue, reflecting evilly on Tantalus's crooked face.**

**"Oh, the gods punished him in the afterlife," Tantalus croaked. "They did indeed. But he'd had his moment of satisfaction, hadn't he?**

Annabeth grimaced, tucking her feet underneath her body uncomfortably.

**His children never again spoke back to him or questioned his authority. And do you know what? Rumour has it that the king's spirit now dwells at this very camp,**

Dionysus' lip curled.

**waiting for a chance to take revenge on ungrateful, rebellious children. And so ... are there any more complaints, before we send Clarisse off on her quest?"**

"Bastard," Apollo muttered.

**Silence.**

**Tantalus nodded at Clarisse. "The Oracle, my dear. Go on."**

**She shifted uncomfortably, like even **_**she **_**didn't want glory at the price of being Tantalus's pet. "Sir—"**

Ares scowled.

**"Go!" he snarled.**

**She bowed awkwardly and hurried off toward the Big House.**

**"What about you Percy Jackson?" Tantalus asked. "No comments from our dishwasher?"**

"To rephrase from our favourite sassy son of Poseidon: go chase a doughnut!" Apollo scoffed.

"Seconded," Hermes called.

**I didn't say anything. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of punishing me again.**

"A wise choice," Athena nodded sagely.

**"Good," Tantalus said. "And let me remind everyone— no one leaves this camp without my permission.**

"Dude, son of Poseidon and daughter of Athena. Just try to freaking stop them," Leo scoffed.

"You think they're going to go anyways?" Nico asked.

"Think? Have you _met_ Annabeth? And if even _half_ of the rumours about Percy are true, they are _so_ going to go."

**Anyone who tries ... well, if they survive the attempt, they will be expelled forever, but it won't come to that. The harpies will be enforcing curfew from now on, and they are always hungry!**

"I saw we up his punishment," Dionysus sniffed. "Just because."

"Wouldn't be just," Zeus said, though it was obvious he said it through grit teeth.

**Good night, my dear campers. Sleep well."**

**With a wave of Tantalus's hand, the fire was extinguished, and the campers trailed off toward their cabins in the dark. I couldn't explain things to Tyson. He knew I was sad. He knew I wanted to go on a trip and Tantalus wouldn't let me.**

"Empathetic," Artemis remarked quietly, "or just in-tune with Perseus."

"Could be both," Apollo offered.

"True," his twin replied.

**"You will go anyway?" he asked.**

**"I don't know," I admitted. "It would be hard. Very hard."**

"That's a word for it."

**"I will help."**

Poseidon's mouth quirked approvingly.

**"No. I—uh, I couldn't ask you to do that, big guy. Too dangerous."**

The demigods who knew Percy exchanged grins.

**Tyson looked down at the pieces of metal he was assembling in his lap—springs and gears and tiny wires. Beckendorf had given him some tools and spare parts, and now Tyson spent every night tinkering, though I wasn't sure how his huge hands could handle such delicate little pieces.**

"Quite easily," Poseidon chuckled good-naturedly, "you'd be surprised with how delicately they can handle the smaller things."

**"What are you building?" I asked.**

**Tyson didn't answer. Instead he made a whimpering sound in the back of his throat. "Annabeth doesn't like Cyclopes. You ... don't want me along?"**

Annabeth winced.

**"Oh, that's not it," I said halfheartedly. "Annabeth likes you. Really."**

Annabeth groaned, her putting her face in her hands. "I hate my younger self," she groaned, her voice somewhat muffled.

Thalia pulled her into a half-hug. "Most people do," she told her frankly. "I bet Percy would be just as embarrassed if he were here."

Annabeth smiled weakly and just shook her head, leaning back once more.

**He had tears in the corners of his eye. I remembered that Grover, like all satyrs, could read ****human emotions. I wondered if Cyclopes had the same ability.**

Poseidon just smiled enigmatically at the looks he was given.

**Tyson folded up his tinkering project in an oilcloth. He lay down on his bunk bed and hugged his bundle like a teddy bear. When he turned toward the wall, I could see the weird scars on his back, like somebody had plowed over him with a tractor.**

There was a mutual flinch/hiss of sympathy for Tyson.

**I wondered for the millionth time how he'd gotten hurt.**

**"Daddy always cared for m-me," he sniffled. "Now ... I think he was mean to have a Cyclops boy. I should not have been born."**

Poseidon's jaw tightened, and his sea-green eyes became stormy.

**"Don't talk that way! Poseidon claimed you, didn't he? So... he must care about you... a lot..."**

"Not exactly strong there, kid," Apollo muttered.

**My voice trailed off as I thought about all those years Tyson had lived on the streets of New York in a cardboard refrigerator box. How could Tyson think that Poseidon had cared for him? What kind of dad let that happen to his kid, even if his kid was a monster?**

"The opposite of love is indifference," Piper said softly, "and, unfortunately, the gods are rarely allowed to act anything other than indifferent. I'm sure Poseidon didn't do it on purpose... right?"

"I couldn't do much to change it," Poseidon replied, his tone quiet, "this much is true."

**"Tyson... camp will be a good home for you. The others will get used to you. I promise."**

"Kind of him," said Hestia gently.

**Tyson sighed. I waited for him to say something. Then I realized he was already asleep. I lay back on my bed and tried to close my eyes, but I just couldn't. I was afraid I might have another dream about Grover. If the empathy link was real ... if something happened to Grover ... would I ever wake up?**

"Chances are? Probably not," Dionysus grimaced, "which would put us gods in quite the awkward position; all things considered."

**The full moon shone through my window. The sound of the surf rumbled in the distance. I could smell the warm scent of the strawberry fields, and hear the laughter of the dryads as they chased owls through the forest.**

"Seems nice," Jason remarked, his blue eyes glazed over with memories.

**But something felt wrong about the night—the sickness of Thalia's tree, spreading across the valley.**

Thalia grimaced at the reminder.

**Could Clarisse save Half-Blood Hill? I thought the odds were better of me getting a "Best Camper" award from Tantalus.**

Ares scowled at that. "Hey," he growled, "no one snaps at my kids but me, you little punk."

**I got out of bed and pulled on some clothes. I grabbed a beach blanket and a six-pack of Coke from under my bunk. The Cokes were against the rules.**

"Indeed," Dionysus snorted, looking completely indifferent.

**No outside snacks or drinks were allowed, but if you talked to the right guy in Hermes's cabin and paid him a few golden drachma, he could smuggle in almost anything from the nearest convenience store.**

Hermes couldn't help but grin at that.

**Sneaking out after curfew was against the rules, too. If I got caught I'd either get in big trouble or be eaten by the harpies. But I wanted to see the ocean. I always felt better there.**

Poseidon smiled faintly at that.

**My thoughts were clearer. I left the cabin and headed for the beach.**

"Rebellious," Apollo laughed.

**I spread my blanket near the surf and popped open a Coke. For some reason sugar and caffeine always calmed down my hyperactive brain.**

"Weird," Leo remarked, "but I get that too."

"Same," Nico nodded.

**I tried to decide what to do to save the camp, but nothing came to me. I wished Poseidon would talk to me, give me some advice or something.**

At that, his father's smile turned sad and a touch of longing drifted in his eyes.

**The sky was clear and starry. I was checking out the constellations Annabeth had taught me—Sagittarius, Hercules, Corona Borealis—when somebody said, "Beautiful, aren't they?"**

"Uh... what the duck?"

**I almost spewed soda.**

"Seconded," Apollo muttered.

**Standing right next to me was a guy in nylon running shorts and a New York City Marathon T-shirt. He was slim and fit, with salt-and-pepper hair and a sly smile.**

"I do approve of that description," Hermes grinned, lounging back in his seat.

**He looked kind of familiar, but I couldn't figure out why.**

**My first thought was that he must've been taking a midnight jog down the beach and strayed inside the camp borders. That wasn't supposed to happen. Regular mortals couldn't enter the valley.**

"Rather, they shouldn't, but sometimes they do," Annabeth chuckled.

"Are you referring to that time with the Pizza man?"

"Yep."

Thalia nodded approvingly. "That was freaking hilarious."

"Agreed," Annabeth laughed.

**But maybe with the tree's magic weakening he'd managed to slip in. But in the middle of the night? And there was nothing around except farmland and state preserves. Where would this guy have jogged from?**

"You don't want me to answer that," Hermes replied dryly.

**"May I join you?" he asked. "I haven't sat down in ages."**

"Of that, I have no doubt," Apollo laughed.

**Now, I know—a strange guy in the middle of the night. Common sense: I was supposed to run away, yell for help, etc. But the guy acted so calm about the whole thing that I found it hard to be afraid.**

Hermes' grin broadened.

**I said, "Uh, sure."**

**He smiled. "Your hospitality does you credit.**

"Always fond of hospitable people, our Hermes is," Apollo grinned.

"Shut up," Hermes laughed.

**Oh, and Coca-Cola! May I?" He sat at the other end of the blanket, popped a soda and took a drink. "Ah ... that hits the spot. Peace and quiet at—"**

**A cell phone went off in his pocket.**

The gods snorted, highly unsurprised that it went off; though mildly impressed that it lasted so long.

**The jogger sighed. He pulled out his phone and my eyes got big, because it glowed with a bluish light. When he extended the antenna, two creatures began writhing around it—green snakes, no bigger than earthworms.**

_Hey!_ Martha and George hissed.

**The jogger didn't seem to notice. **

"Too used to notice," Hermes remarked wryly.

**He checked his LCD display and cursed. "I've got to take this. Just a sec ..." Then into the phone: "Hello?"**

**He listened. The mini-snakes writhed up and down the antenna right next to his ear.**

**"Yeah," the jogger said. "Listen—I know, but... I don't care if he **_**is **_**chained to a rock with vultures pecking at his liver,**

"Prometheus," Hermes groaned. "Damned pain he is..."

"Quite literal on the 'damned' part too," Apollo remarked idly.

**if he doesn't have a tracking number, we can't locate his package... A gift to humankind, great...**

"Does anyone else feel like a sex joke was lost somewhere in there?" Apollo cackled.

"Brother..." Artemis sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

**You know how many of those we deliver—Oh, never mind. Listen, just refer him to Eris in customer service.**

Jason choked on his drink, making Apollo cackle once more.

**I gotta go."**

**He hung up. "Sorry. The overnight express business is just booming. Now, as I was saying—"**

**"You have snakes on your phone."**

"Subtle," Athena remarked dryly.

**"What? Oh, they don't bite. Say hello, George and Martha."**

_**Hello, George and Martha, **_**a raspy male voice said inside my head.**

The group chuckled and said snakes looked oddly pleased with themselves.

_**Don't be sarcastic, **_**said a female ****voice.**

_**Why not? **_**George demanded. **_**I do all the **_**real **_**work.**_

**"Oh, let's not go into that again!"**

"Honestly," Hermes muttered in agreement.

**The jogger slipped his phone back into his pocket. "Now, where were we ... Ah, yes. Peace and quiet."**

**He crossed his ankles and stared up at the stars. "Been a long time since I've gotten to relax. Ever since the telegraph—rush, rush, rush.**

"Like it wasn't that way beforehand," Dionysus scoffed.

"Meh," Hermes shrugged.

**Do you have a favourite constellation, Percy?"**

**I was still kind of wondering about the little green snakes he'd shoved into his jogging shorts, but I said, "Uh, I like Hercules."**

"Indeed," Hera said flatly.

"Now, now, listen to his reasoning before we judge, my dear stepmother," Hermes smiled pleasantly. Hera shot him an irritated look.

"**Why?"**

**"Well ... because he had rotten luck. Even worse than mine. It makes me feel better."**

At that, Hera looked taken aback; Athena blinked in surprise and Artemis paused in oiling her bowstring. Despite being the most prevalent, they were not the only gods to looked surprised at that.

**The jogger chuckled. "Not because he was strong and famous and all that?"**

**"No."**

**"You're an interesting young man.**

"Indeed," Poseidon remarked approvingly.

**And so, what now?"**

**I knew immediately what he was asking. What did I intend to do about the Fleece?**

"Million dollar question," Leo hummed.

**Before I could answer, Martha the snake's muffled voice came from his pocket: _I have Demeter on line two._**

**"Not now," the jogger said. "Tell her to leave a message."**

Demeter huffed in irritation at that.

_**She's not going to like that. The last time you put her off, all the flowers in the floral delivery division wilted.**_

"Exactly!" She scowled at him.

Hermes shrugged. "Sorry darling, but this was more important. You have eternity; this kid's got one shot."

**"Just tell her I'm in a meeting!" The jogger rolled his eyes. "Sorry again, Percy. You were saying ..."**

**"Um ... who are you, exactly?"**

**"Haven't you guessed by now, a smart boy like you?"**

"Not the word I would've-" Dionysus caught Poseidon's eye and fell silent.

_**Show him! **_**Martha pleaded**_**. I haven't been full-size for months.**_

_**Don't listen to her! **_**George said. **_**She just wants to show off!**_

Martha hissed in irritation and it sounded like George was laughing.

**The man took out his phone again. "Original form, please."**

**The phone glowed a brilliant blue. It stretched into a three-foot-long wooden staff with dove wings sprouting out the top. George and Martha, now full-sized green snakes, coiled together around the middle. It was a caduceus, the symbol of Cabin Eleven.**

Hermes was lounging casually, his fingers laced behind his head and a lopsided grin stretching across his face.

**My throat tightened. I realized who the jogger reminded me of with his elfish features, the mischievous twinkle in his eyes...**

**"You're Luke's father," I said. "Hermes."**

"That's a first," Hermes remarked, his smile tightening just for a second before he relaxed, "but well enough."

**The god pursed his lips. He stuck his caduceus in the sand like an umbrella pole. "'Luke's father.' Normally, that's not the first way people introduce me. God of thieves, yes. God of messengers and travellers, if they wish to be kind."**

"Which is, unfortunately, rare," Hermes chuckled, "more people are inclined to remember a thief than a traveller or messenger."

"Unless the messenger brings bad news," Leo pointed out, "there's a reason why the saying is 'don't shoot the messenger'."

"Good point," Hermes laughed easily.

_**God of thieves works, **_**George said.**

_**Oh, don't mind George. **_**Martha flicked her tongue at me. **_**He's just bitter because Hermes likes me best.**_

Hermes' eyes rolled.

_**He does not!**_

_**Does too!**_

**"Behave, you two," Hermes warned, "or I'll turn you back into a cell phone and set you on vibrate!**

"Could you imagine?" Leo looked a touch awed. "Must feel like being in the centre of a waterbed... a _vibrating_ waterbed!"

"Dude, seriously?" Jason snorted, running a hand through his hair.

"Shut up, I'm Batman."

"Does this make me Superman?"

"Yes."

"Will you stop using the Batman voice?"

"No."

"Alrighty then."

"You're Jim Carrey."

"Shut up, Leo."

"I'm Batman."

Piper collapsed into giggles at the annoyed look Jason shot him.

**Now, Percy, you still haven't answered my question. What do you intend to do about the quest?"**

**"I—I don't have permission to go."**

"Semantics," Apollo laughed, waving it off.

**"No, indeed. Will that stop you?"**

**"I want to go. I have to save Grover."**

**Hermes smiled. "I knew a boy once ... oh, younger than you by far. A mere baby, really."**

"Three guesses who," Apollo said dryly, causing Hermes to take a swat at him.

_**Here we go again, **_**George said. **_**Always talking about himself**_

_**Quiet! **_**Martha snapped. **_**Do you want to get set on vibrate?**_

**Hermes ignored them. "One night, when this boy's mother wasn't watching, he sneaked out of their cave and stole some cattle that belonged to Apollo."**

**"Did he get blasted to tiny pieces?" I asked.**

"Do I look that violent to you?"

"You look like a god that could destroy me in under half a second if you so wished," Nico pointed out. "You gods are also not exactly known for your leniency, sweet dispositions or easy tempers."

Apollo pouted. "Hmph. Ruining my good name."

"You mean the one about you eating paste?" Hermes teased.

"That was a _rumour_, and _you're_ the one who started that!"

"Temper," Nico half-sang.

"...damn straight," Apollo rolled his eyes, unable to stop the grin tugging at his mouth. "You both suck."

**"Hmm ... no. Actually, everything turned out quite well. To make up for his theft, the boy gave Apollo an instrument he'd invented—a lyre. Apollo was so enchanted with the music that he forgot all about being angry."**

Apollo's grin turned whimsical. He loved that stupid thing.

**"So what's the moral?"**

**"The moral?" Hermes asked. "Goodness, you act like it's a fable. It's a true story. Does truth have a moral?"**

"A fair point," Athena nodded.

**"Um ..."**

**"How about this: stealing is not always bad?"**

**"I don't think my mom would like that moral."**

"I don't think any decent mother would," Hera chuckled loftily.

Hephaestus seemed to struggle with the sarcastic comment on the tip of his tongue. And if Leo was right, it'd probably go something along the lines of '_and are you included in that category?_'.

_**Rats are delicious, **_**suggested George.**

_**What does that have to do with the story? **_**Martha demanded.**

_**Nothing, **_**George said. **_**But I'm hungry.**_

"Logical," Leo laughed.

**"I've got it," Hermes said. "Young people don't always do what they're told, but if they can pull it off and do something wonderful, sometimes they escape punishment. How's that?"**

"Fair enough," Apollo said wryly.

"I think so too, funnily enough," Hermes grinned.

**"You're saying I should go anyway," I said, "even without permission."**

**Hermes's eyes twinkled. "Martha, may I have the first package, please?"**

**Martha opened her mouth ... and kept opening it until it was as wide as my arm.**

"Creepy."

**She belched out a stainless steel canister—an old-fashioned lunch box thermos with a black plastic top. The sides of the thermos were enamelled with red and yellow Ancient Greek scenes—a hero killing a lion; a hero lifting up Cerberus, the three-headed dog.**

The gods either rolled their eyes or chuckled, depending on their opinion of said hero. While the demigods just looked curious.

**"That's Hercules,"**

"Oh, cool coincidence," Leo commented offhandedly.

"Coincidences don't exist," Jason retorted.

"Dude, they do so."

"Not in this life, buddy, and not in the next. Hercules is, apparently, going to be important to the plot somehow."

"What_ever_."

**I said. "But how—"**

**"Never question a gift," Hermes chided.**

"Good advice," Artemis murmured at she began to fletch an arrow.

**"This is a collector's item from **_**Hercules Busts Heads. **_**The first season."**

"So jealous," Apollo groaned.

Hermes just grinned.

_**"Hercules Busts Heads?"**_

**"Great show." Hermes sighed. "Back before Hephaestus-TV was all reality programming.**

"You don't like it, find something better," Hephaestus grunted. "And _Hercules Busts Heads_ was reality programming."

**Of course, the thermos would be worth much more if I had the whole lunch box—"**

_**Or if it hadn't been in Martha's mouth, **_**George added.**

_**I'll get you for that. **_**Martha began chasing him around the caduceus.**

**"Wait a minute," I said. "This is a gift?"**

Hermes just chuckled.

**"One of two," Hermes said. "Go on, pick it up."**

**I almost dropped it because it was freezing cold on one side and burning hot on the other. The weird thing was, when I turned the thermos, the side facing the ocean— north—was always the cold side...**

"Ah," Poseidon smiled.

**"It's a compass!" I said.**

**Hermes looked surprised. "Very clever. I never thought of that.**

Hermes grinned. "I really do like this kid. He's clever. And sassy. Can never go wrong with sassy and clever."

**But its intended use is a bit more dramatic. Uncap it, and you will release the winds from the four corners of the earth to speed you on your way. Not now!**

Annabeth giggled. Such a Percy move.

**And please, when the time comes, only unscrew the lid a tiny bit. The winds are a bit like me—always restless.**

"Is that how you describe it now?" Apollo teased.

"Shut up," Hermes laughed.

**Should all four escape at once ... ah, but I'm sure you'll be careful. And now my second gift. George?"**

_**She's touching me, **_**George complained as he and Martha slithered around the pole.**

**"She's **_**always **_**touching you,"**

Apollo cackled, earning a smack from his sister.

**Hermes said. "You're intertwined. And if you don't stop that, you'll get knotted again!**

**The snakes stopped wrestling. George unhinged his jaw and coughed up a little plastic bottle filled with chewable vitamins.**

Annabeth nodded approvingly and Poseidon smiled.

**"You're kidding," I said. "Are those Minotaur-shaped?"**

**Hermes picked up the bottle and rattled it. "The lemon ones, yes. The grape ones are Furies, I think. Or are they hydras? At any rate, these are potent. Don't take one unless you really, really need it."**

"Ambrosia or something?" Leo asked.

Hermes' eyes twinkled mischievously. "Not quite."

**"How will I know if I really, really need it?"**

**"You'll know, believe me. Nine essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids ... oh, everything you need to feel yourself again." He tossed me the bottle.**

**"Um, thanks," I said. "But Lord Hermes, why are you helping me?"**

"Can't you guess?" Hermes aimed for lofty but, unfortunately, he fell a touch... short.

**He gave me a melancholy smile. "Perhaps because I hope that you can save many people on this quest, Percy. Not just your friend Grover."**

**I stared at him. "You don't mean ... **_**Luke?"**_

"Tactful," Thalia winced.

**Hermes didn't answer.**

**"Look," I said. "Lord Hermes, I mean, thanks and everything, but you might as well take back your gifts. Luke can't be saved. Even if I could find him ... he told me he wanted to tear down Olympus stone by stone. He betrayed everybody he knew. He—he hates you especially."**

"Opposite of love..." Piper mumbled.

Hermes' jaw tightened and his eyes flashed, looking away from the group to stare out the window.

**Hermes gazed up at the stars. "My dear young cousin, if there's one thing I've learned over the eons, it's that you **_**can't **_**give up on your family, no matter how tempting they make it.**

Little more than a huff of laughter escaped anyone, but everyone understood the sentiment.

**It doesn't matter if they hate you, or embarrass you, or simply don't appreciate your genius for inventing the Internet—"**

"That was pretty stealth, bro," Apollo nodded.

Hermes grinned. "Thanks."

**"You invented the Internet?"**

_**It was my idea, **_**Martha said.**

_**Rats are delicious, **_**George said.**

**"It was **_**my **_**idea!" Hermes said. "I mean the Internet, not the rats.**

The room chuckled.

**But that's not the point. Percy, do you understand what I'm saying about family?"**

**"I—I'm not sure."**

"Fair enough," Hermes nodded, "most in this room don't understand the concept. And I didn't understand until, about, three hundred or so years ago."

"Really? Still with that pigeon incident?" Apollo groaned.

"Shut up, it was traumatic."

**"You will some day." Hermes got up and brushed the sand off his legs. "In the meantime, I must be going."**

_**You have sixty calls to return, **_**Martha said.**

_**And one thousand-thirty-eight emails, **_**George added. **_**Not counting the offers for online discount ambrosia.**_

"Dude!" Leo exclaimed.

"That's a word for it," Hermes said dryly.

**"And you, Percy," Hermes said, "have a shorter deadline than you realize to complete your quest. Your friends should be coming right about ... now."**

"...what?" Thalia frowned.

**I heard Annabeth's voice calling my name from the sand dunes. Tyson, too, was shouting from a little bit farther away.**

**"I hope I packed well for you," Hermes said. "I do have some experience with travel."**

"'Some experience', he says," Apollo snorted.

**He snapped his fingers and three yellow duffel bags appeared at my feet. "Waterproof, of course. If you ask nicely, your father should be able to help you reach the ship."**

Poseidon chuckled.

**"Ship?"**

**Hermes pointed. Sure enough, a big cruise ship was cutting across Long Island Sound, its white-and-gold lights glowing against the dark water.**

Thalia, Nico and Annabeth exchanged grim looks.

**"Wait," I said. "I don't understand any of this. I haven't even agreed to go!"**

**"I'd make up your mind in the next five minutes, if I were you," Hermes advised. "That's when the harpies will come to eat you.**

The room snorted.

**Now, good night, cousin, and dare I say it? May the gods go with you."**

Hermes grinned, looking downright devious but wholly approving.

**He opened his hand and the caduceus flew into it.**

_**Good luck, **_**Martha told me.**

_**Bring me back a rat, **_**George said.**

Annabeth giggled.

**The caduceus changed into a cell phone and Hermes slipped it into his pocket. He jogged off down the beach. Twenty paces away, he shimmered and vanished, leaving me alone with a thermos, a bottle of chewable vitamins, and five minutes to make an impossible decision.**

"Chapter." Demeter stated.

"And what a chapter indeed," Apollo whistled.

"I'll read," Nico replied, taking it from her. "Chapter seven: We Board the _Princess Andromeda_."

* * *

Well, I tried to make it to Wednesday. I failed, by an hour and fifty minutes, but I tried. 56 pages is a lot, in all fairness.

So, my favourite god is Hermes, followed by Poseidon, then Apollo, then Artemis and then Hephaestus for my top five favourite gods. Who are your favourite gods?

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	35. Chapter 35

**We Board the _Princess Andromeda_**

"Andromeda, sweet girl," Apollo nodded, "a little crazy, but meh."

**I was staring at the waves when Annabeth and Tyson found me.**

"I normally have that effect on people," Hermes said dryly.

"I knew it," Apollo declared in mock-seriousness.

**"What's going on?" Annabeth asked. "I heard you calling for help!"**

**"Me, too!" Tyson said. "Heard you yell, 'Bad things are attacking!'"**

"Witty, Hermes," Athena cocked a brow.

"I was a little pressed for time," he shrugged.

**"I didn't call you guys," I said. "I'm fine."**

**"But then who ..." Annabeth noticed the three yellow duffel bags, then the thermos and the bottle of vitamins I was holding. "What—"**

"I can imagine you were a touch confused at that point," Piper laughed.

**"Just listen," I said. "We don't have much time."**

**I told them about my conversation with Hermes. By the time I was finished, I could hear screeching in the distance—patrol harpies picking up our scent.**

"He managed to recount all of that in under five minutes?" Leo cocked a brow. "Dude!"

"Well, he left out the bits about Luke," Annabeth admitted, gnawing on her lower lip. "Rightfully so, I think... I wasn't in the state to hear about it. Although..."

"Although?"

"You'll see."

**"Percy," Annabeth said, "we have to do the quest."**

"Is that still a question?" Dionysus scoffed.

**"We'll get expelled, you know. Trust me, I'm an expert at getting expelled."**

"We should compare one day," Leo snorted.

**"So? If we fail, there won't be any camp to come back to."**

"A painful point," Athena said, grimacing faintly. "But a point, nonetheless."

**"Yeah, but you promised Chiron—"**

**"I promised I'd keep you from danger. I can only do that by coming with you!**

Aphrodite sighed dramatically.

**Tyson can stay behind and tell them—"**

**"I want to go," Tyson said.**

**"No!" Annabeth's voice sounded close to panic.**

A number of odd looks were tossed Annabeth's way, but the blonde merely grimaced again and kept her silence.

**"I mean ... Percy, come on. You know that's impossible."**

"Won't stop him from doing it," Thalia pointed out dryly.

"If anything, that will just encourage him," Nico chuckled.

**I wondered again why she had such a grudge against Cyclopes. There was something she wasn't telling me.**

Annabeth smiled sadly.

**She and Tyson both looked at me, waiting for an answer.**

"Born leader," Hestia commented.

**Meanwhile, the cruise ship was getting farther and farther away.**

**The thing was, part of me didn't want Tyson along. I'd spent the last three days in close quarters with the guy, getting razzed by the other campers and embarrassed a million times a day, constantly reminded that I was related to him. I needed some space.**

"Not exactly pleasant," Jason acknowledged, "but still, it's fair."

"Yeah, everyone needs a little breather now and again," Leo nodded.

**Plus, I didn't know how much help he'd be, or how I'd keep him safe.**

"Protective," Athena's brows raised. "Though, I am not sure if it is justified."

"Then let the boy read and we'll find out," Hephaestus rumbled.

**Sure, he was strong, but Tyson was a little kid in Cyclops terms, maybe seven or eight years old, mentally. I could see him freaking out and starting to cry while we were trying to sneak past a monster or something.**

Athena's mouth contorted. "While I see his logic," she stated, "he's not looking at all the facts. True, Tyson is all of these things; but he has also proven to be fiercely loyal and protective in battle. Plus, he seems to be fairly skilled in combat as well."

"Well, he must be," Hephaestus added, "elsewise, the cyclops would have died a long time ago."

"Very true," Athena acknowledged.

**He'd get us all killed. On the other hand, the sound of the harpies was getting closer...**

**"We can't leave him," I decided. "Tantalus will punish him for us being gone."**

"Another good point," Hephaestus muttered, his beard smoking.

"Certainly wouldn't put it past him," Leo said dryly.

**"Percy," Annabeth said, trying to keep her cool, "we're going to Polyphemus's island! Polyphemus is an S-i-k... a C-y-k..." She stamped her foot in frustration. As smart as she was, Annabeth was dyslexic, too. We could've been there all night while she tried to spell Cyclops.**

"Damn," Jason chuckled, "I keep forgetting about that."

"I keep forgetting that you lot are ADHD, with how still you're sitting," Apollo laughed.

Leo groaned. "Trust me, this sucks. I can feeling Thalia bouncing her leg, and Annabeth taps on the couch, and Nico shifts every three seconds."

"Whereas you won't let go of your tinker toys," Thalia retorted, rolling her eyes.

"I never claimed to be perfect," Leo replied, smirking faintly, "although, I know it's an easy mistake to make."

Thalia rolled her eyes again as Apollo cackled.

**"You know what I mean!"**

**"Tyson can go," I insisted, "if he wants to."**

"I like that," Hestia declared, beaming faintly, "he's made it Tyson's decision, as it should be."

"Though, it sounds more like he's trying to avoid a fight with his girlfriend," Ares snorted.

"Ares has a point~!" Aphrodite half-sang.

**Tyson clapped his hands. "Want to!"**

**Annabeth gave me the evil eye, but I guess she could tell I wasn't going to change my mind. Or maybe she just knew we didn't have time to argue.**

"A bit of both, to be honest," Annabeth said, looking amused.

**"All right," she said. "How do we get to that ship?"**

**"Hermes said my father would help."**

"Was there any ever doubt?" Demeter scoffed. "He practically dotes on the boy!"

"...you know, if didn't know what I do about the gods, that sentence would sound a bit weird," Leo chuckled.

**"Well then, Seaweed Brain? What are you waiting for?"**

**I'd always had a hard time calling on my father, or praying, or whatever you want to call it, but I stepped into the waves.**

"Not much of a choice at this point," Apollo remarked cheerily.

**"Urn, Dad?" I called. "How's it going?"**

The room chuckled.

**"Percy!" Annabeth whispered. "We're in a hurry!"**

**"We need your help," I called a little louder. "We need to get to that ship, like, before we get eaten and stuff, so..."**

"So awkward, but so fitting," Leo sniggered.

**At first, nothing happened. Waves crashed against the shore like normal. The harpies sounded like they were right behind the sand dunes. Then, about a hundred yards out to sea, three white lines appeared on the surface.**

"What did you do now, brother," Hades drawled.

**They moved fast toward the shore, like claws ripping through the ocean. As they neared the beach, the surf burst apart and the heads of three white stallions reared out of the waves.**

"Ah," Athena nodded, "hippocampi."

"Beautiful those things are," Hermes laughed, "totally jealous."

Poseidon chuckled in reply. "I do try, nephew."

**Tyson caught his breath. "Fish ponies!"**

A few people laughed at that.

**He was right. As the creatures pulled themselves onto the sand, I saw that they were only horses in the front; their back halves were silvery fish bodies, with glistening scales and rainbow tail fins.**

**"Hippocampi!" Annabeth said. "They're beautiful."**

"A perfect blend of a horse and the sea," Poseidon said, faint pride in his eyes. "A fine creation."

"If you don't say so yourself," Zeus scoffed.

"Oh no," Poseidon grinned, "I did say so myself."

Hades and Zeus exchanged unimpressed looks.

**The nearest one whinnied in appreciation and nuzzled Annabeth.**

**"We'll admire them later," I said. "Come on!"**

**"There!" a voice screeched behind us. "Bad children out of cabins! Snack time for lucky harpies!"**

"'Harpy' is right," Leo muttered.

"That doesn't make much sense," Piper said, "seeing as how the meaning you're implying was based off of them."

"Ah, but you still got my meaning," Leo told her, grinning lopsidedly. "So I think we can label that as a success."

**Five of them were fluttering over the top of the dunes—plump little hags with pinched faces and talons and feathery wings too small for their bodies. They reminded me of miniature cafeteria ladies who'd been crossbred with dodo birds.**

Leo cackled and Nico cracked a grin.

**They weren't very fast, thank the gods, but they were vicious if they caught you.**

"Get a baseball bat," Jason snorted.

"Jason!" Piper protested, smacking his bicep lightly.

Jason grinned at her and shrugged.

**"Tyson!" I said. "Grab a duffel bag!" He was still staring at the hippocampi with his mouth hanging open, "Tyson!"**

**"Uh?"**

**"Come on!"**

"He sounds just like Percy, doesn't he?" Thalia smirked.

Annabeth rolled her and shoved the other girl lightly. "Come on, Thalia, Percy isn't that bad."

"He has his moments, sure," Nico remarked, "but so does everyone. You included. You remember the time where you-"

"Nico di Angelo, finish that sentence and I'll send you to your father permanently."

Nico grinned in reply.

**With Annabeth's help I got him moving. We gathered the bags and mounted our steeds. Poseidon must've known Tyson was one of the passengers, because one hippocampus was much larger than the other two—just right for carrying a Cyclops.**

Poseidon chuckled in reply.

**"Giddy-up!" I said. My hippocampus turned and plunged into the waves. Annabeth's and Tyson's followed right behind.**

"I wouldn't say 'plunged'," Annabeth said, "that would be a bit misleading. It was more like we rode the waves."

**The harpies cursed at us, wailing for their snacks to come back, but the hippocampi raced over the water at the speed of Jet Skis.**

"Cool!"

**The harpies fell behind, and soon the shore of Camp Half-Blood was nothing but a dark smudge. I wondered if I'd ever see the place again. But right then I had other problems.**

"Very true," Nico remarked dryly, "please leave the morbid thoughts to me, thanks."

"Well, if you insist," Thalia drawled, making Nico snicker.

**The cruise ship was now looming in front of us—our ride toward Florida and the Sea of Monsters.**

Annabeth winced.

**Riding the hippocampus was even easier than riding a pegasus.**

"Well of course you would think that, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth laughed quietly, "it's combining the sea and horses; two things you're skilled with."

**We zipped along with the wind in our faces, speeding through the waves so smooth and steady I hardly needed to hold on at all.**

"Can we add 'travel by hippocampi' on the list of things to do before I die?" Leo snickered.

"Crafting a Bucket List are you?" Piper grinned.

"'Bucket List'?" Nico questioned.

"List of things you want to do before you kick the bucket."

"Ah."

**As we got closer to the cruise ship, I realized just how huge it was. I felt as though I were looking up at a building in Manhattan.**

"Cruise ships are always that ridiculous," Piper said, huffing out a laugh. "It's like having a mini city on a ship."

**The white hull was at least ten stories tall, topped with another dozen levels of decks with brightly lit balconies and portholes.**

"Wow," Jason remarked, looking vaguely intrigued.

**The ship's name was painted just above the bow line in black letters, lit with a spotlight. It took me a few seconds to decipher it: _PRINCESS ANDROMEDA_**

"Yes, lovely ship," Dionysus drawled, "now can we board the bloody thing and get it all over with?"

**Attached to the bow was a huge masthead—a three-story-tall woman wearing a white Greek chiton, sculpted to look as if she were chained to the front of the ship.**

"Must've been an awkward first date," Leo sniggered; making Nico snort.

**She was young and beautiful, with flowing black hair, but her expression was one of absolute terror. Why anybody would want a screaming princess on the front of their vacation ship, I had no idea.**

"Though, it does serve for some wonderful foreshadowing," Annabeth sighed, tugging on her hair.

"I take it that this will not be a pleasant voyage?" Athena asked dryly.

"Not in the slightest," Annabeth replied.

**I remembered the myth about Andromeda and how she had been chained to a rock by her own parents as a sacrifice to a sea monster.**

Poseidon scoffed and rolled his eyes.

**Maybe she'd gotten too many F's on her report card or something.**

The room chuckled.

**Anyway, my namesake, Perseus, had saved her just in time and turned the sea monster to stone using the head of Medusa.**

"Go Perseus," Thalia smirked.

Hera sniffed derisively.

**_That _Perseus always won. That's why my mom had named me after him, even though he was a son of Zeus and I was a son of Poseidon.**

Zeus and Poseidon exchanged looks at that.

"In all fairness, I've yet to see Percy lose big either," Nico commented, shaking his head.

**The original Perseus was one of the only heroes in the Greek myths who got a happy ending.**

"Wonder what that says for me," Jason drawled, running a hand through his hair.

**The others died—betrayed, mauled, mutilated, poisoned, or cursed by the gods. My mom hoped I would inherit Perseus's luck.**

"You can always hope," Hestia hummed.

**Judging by how my life was going so far, I wasn't real optimistic.**

"Well, you're not dead yet, git," Thalia snorted, "or a tree, for that matter."

**"How do we get aboard?" Annabeth shouted over the noise of the waves, but the hippocampi seemed to know what we needed.**

"Or someone was directing them," Zeus remarked, shooting a look at his brother.

Poseidon merely smiled. "Can I help it if the hippocampi are intelligent?"

"Yes."

"You wound me, brother."

**They skimmed along the starboard side of the ship, riding easily through its huge wake, and pulled up next to a service ladder riveted to the side of the hull.**

"Convenient," Hermes remarked idly, tapping away on his phone.

**"You first," I told Annabeth.**

"A gentleman," Aphrodite looked pleased, "how wonderful."

**She slung her duffel bag over her shoulder and grabbed the bottom rung. Once she'd hoisted herself onto the ladder, her hippocampus whinnied a farewell and dove underwater. Annabeth began to climb. I let her get a few rungs up, then followed her.**

**Finally it was just Tyson in the water. His hippocampus was treating him to 360° aerials and backward ollies, and Tyson was laughing so hysterically, the sound echoed up the side of the ship.**

"Bloody cyclops is going to get them killed if he doesn't shut up," Ares grunted.

"Lover, be kind," Aphrodite admonished.

"I'm stating a fact, babe, nothing wrong with that."

**"Tyson, shh!" I said. "Come on, big guy!"**

**"Can't we take Rainbow?" he asked, his smile fading.**

**I stared at him. _"Rainbow?"_**

"Why am I not surprised that he named it?" Apollo snorted, shaking his head.

"Because Tyson seems to genuinely care for all creatures," Artemis said simply, "it's commendable of him."

"All creatures or just horses?" Hermes wanted to know. "I mean, think about it, he's only really gotten transfixed over the, ah, _'ponies'_."

"Who's not surprised?" Hades drawled.

**The hippocampus whinnied as if he liked his new name.**

**"Um, we have to go," I said. "Rainbow ... well, he can't climb ladders."**

"A valid point," Leo snickered.

**Tyson sniffled. He buried his face in the hippocampus's mane. "I will miss you, Rainbow!"**

**The hippocampus made a neighing sound I could've sworn was crying.**

"Adorable," Aphrodite cooed.

**"Maybe we'll see him again sometime," I suggested.**

**"Oh, please!" Tyson said, perking up immediately. "Tomorrow!"**

**I didn't make any promises, but I finally convinced Tyson to say his farewells and grab hold of the ladder.**

"I have a feeling that Perseus shall make an excellent father," Hera nodded approvingly. "Far too many teenagers in general would merely snap at him, but Perseus coaxed him into coming along. Yes, if he lives that long, he'll make an wonderful parent."

"You did not need to add that other bit," Poseidon remarked dryly.

"Or any of it," Annabeth muttered, her face a flaming red.

Thalia sniggered. "Oh, Annie, you are _soo_ in over your head."

"Shut up," Annabeth hissed, nudging her, "and don't call me Annie."

**With a final sad whinny, Rainbow the hippocampus did a back-flip and dove into the sea.**

**The ladder led to a maintenance deck stacked with yellow lifeboats. There was a set of locked double doors, which Annabeth managed to pry open with her knife and a fair amount of cursing in Ancient Greek.**

A good number of people chuckled at that, and Athena's mouth twitched with amusement.

**I figured we'd have to sneak around, being stowaways and all, but after checking a few corridors and peering over a balcony into a huge central promenade lined with closed shops, I began to realize there was nobody to hide from.**

Jason frowned, "that doesn't sound right..."

"No, it does not," Athena agreed, her brow furrowing.

**I mean, sure it was the middle of the night, but we walked half the length of the boat and met no one. We passed forty or fifty cabin doors and heard no sound behind any of them.**

"Odd," Hephaestus muttered. "Should at least hear some snoring going on."

"It's like a ghost ship..." Leo remarked, looking curious.

**"It's a ghost ship," I murmured.**

"Oh! Booyeah!"

**"No," Tyson said, fiddling with the strap of his duffel bag. "Bad smell."**

Poseidon grimaced at that.

**Annabeth frowned. "I don't smell anything."**

**"Cyclopes are like satyrs," I said. "They can smell monsters.**

"Something wicked this way comes," Piper murmured.

"Hopefully it's not a damned spot," Leo said innocently, "hates those bloody things. Can never get them out."

"Did you really just make a joke about Lady Macbeth's madness?"

"Yep!"

"Ah, good ol' Bill," Apollo grinned, "one of my favourite sons, he was. Definitely in the top five."

**Isn't that right, Tyson?"**

**He nodded nervously. Now that we were away from Camp Half-Blood, the Mist had distorted his face again. Unless I concentrated very hard, it seemed that he had two eyes instead of one.**

"The Mist always manages to give me a headache," Thalia grumbled, "does anyone else get that?"

**"Okay," Annabeth said. "So what exactly do you smell?"**

**"Something bad," Tyson answered.**

**"Great," Annabeth grumbled. "That clears it up."**

"Because Grover could smell any better," Nico drawled.

"I know!" Annabeth said, a touch of aggravation to her voice. "I get it, I was rude; can we move on now?"

**We came outside on the swimming pool level. There were rows of empty deck chairs and a bar closed off with a chain curtain. The water in the pool glowed eerily, sloshing back and forth from the motion of the ship.**

Poseidon muttered something about swimming in a chlorinated pool when the beauty of the ocean was _right there_ under his breath irritably.

**Above us fore and aft were more levels—a climbing wall, a putt-putt golf course, a revolving restaurant, but no sign of life.**

"Sketchy."

**And yet ... I sensed something familiar. Something dangerous.**

Zeus frowned, leaning forward slightly in his chair.

**I had the feeling that if I weren't so tired and burned out on adrenaline from our long night, I might be able to put a name to what was wrong.**

"Then don't relax, especially not if you sense something _wrong_," Ares scowled.

"But Hermes lead them to that ship... surely it can't be all bad, right?" Piper bit her lip.

"Kid, we're gods," Apollo said, "and you're talking about a bona fide trickster."

Poseidon exhaled forcefully, pinching the bridge of his nose; but he did not say a word.

**"We need a hiding place," I said. "Somewhere safe to sleep."**

**"Sleep," Annabeth agreed wearily.**

"Damn, you guys must be exhausted," Leo whistled.

"That's a word for it," Annabeth admitted.

**We explored a few more corridors until we found an empty suite on the ninth level. The door was open, which struck me as weird.**

With every passing word, the group felt more and more grim; this sounded like a set up.

**There was a basket of chocolate goodies on the table, an iced-down bottle of sparkling cider on the nightstand, and a mint on the pillow with a hand written note that said: _Enjoy your cruise!_**

The demigods (minus Annabeth) all looked a little surprised at the extravagance of the place.

**We opened our duffel bags for the first time and found that Hermes really had thought of everything**

Said god couldn't help but grin wryly at that; he was called the god of travellers for a _reason_ you know.

—**extra clothes, toiletries, camp rations, a Ziploc bag full of cash, a leather pouch full of golden drachmas. He'd even managed to pack Tyson's oilcloth with his tools and metal bits, and Annabeth's cap of invisibility, which made them both feel a lot better.**

"It was rather brilliant of you," Annabeth said, giving Hermes a small smile.

"I take it I'm forgiven for whatever horrible thing I did?" He asked dryly.

"You were trying to protect your family; there is no shame in that."

"Luke," Poseidon named, sighing faintly.

Annabeth nodded and Hermes grimaced.

**"I'll be next door," Annabeth said. "You guys _don't _drink or eat anything."**

**"You think this place is enchanted?"**

**She frowned. "I don't know. Something isn't right.**

"So all three of you felt it," Athena sighed. "Well, that is not good."

**Just ... be careful."**

**We locked our doors.**

"In all fairness, locked doors don't do much against monsters."

"No, but they do give ample warnings when they're blasted open, Leo."

"Ah... fair point, Jase."

**Tyson crashed on the couch. He tinkered for a few minutes on his metalworking project—which he still wouldn't show me—**

Annabeth smiled mysteriously.

**but soon enough he was yawning. He wrapped up his oilcloth and passed out.**

**I lay on the bed and stared out the porthole. I thought I heard voices out in the hallway, like whispering. I knew that couldn't be.**

The gods didn't look so sure.

**We'd walked all over the ship and had seen nobody. But the voices kept me awake. They reminded me of my trip to the Underworld—the way the spirits of the dead sounded as they drifted past.**

"He's on the ship," Zeus' voice was as rough as gravel, but no one mistook to whom he was referring.

**Finally my weariness got the best of me. I fell asleep ... and had my worst dream yet.**

The demigods winced in sympathy and Poseidon's jaw tightened.

**I was standing in a cavern at the edge of an enormous pit. I knew the place too well. The entrance to Tartarus. And I recognized the cold laugh that echoed from the darkness below.**

"You always expect hell to be hot," Jason muttered low, "when really, it's the cold you ought to be looking out for."

**_If it isn't the young hero. _The voice was like a knife blade scraping across stone. _On his way to another great victory._**

"Nico, Jason," Thalia said, calling their attention, "our grandfather is a right bastard."

The boys scoffed and nodded in agreement.

**I wanted to shout at Kronos to leave me alone. I wanted to draw Riptide and strike him down. But I couldn't move. And even if I could, how could I kill some thing that had already been destroyed—chopped to pieces and cast into eternal darkness?**

"It is a bit of a conundrum, isn't it?" Despite the levity in Apollo's voice, his humour fell flat.

**_Don't let me stop you, _the titan said. _Perhaps this time, when you fail, you'll wonder if it's worthwhile slaving for the gods. How exactly _has _your father shown his appreciation lately?_**

Poseidon's back stiffened at that and he grew very still; his sea-green eyes darkening to an impossible black, like the deepest parts of the ocean where no light dared tread.

**His laughter filled the cavern, and suddenly the scene changed.**

**It was a different cave—Grover's bedroom prison in the Cyclops's lair.**

"Good, the kid doesn't need to spend anymore time with dear old grandaddy than he has to," Apollo grimaced.

"Is that how we're referring to him now?" Hermes asked dryly.

"Better than saying his name, isn't it?"

"Touché."

**Grover was sitting at the loom in his soiled wedding dress, madly unravelling the threads of the unfinished bridal train.**

Athena smiled faintly, "a smart idea."

**"Honeypie!"**

A number of people snickered at that.

**the monster shouted from behind the boulder.**

**Grover yelped and began weaving the threads back together.**

"Yeah, you'd be a little screwed if he caught you unravelling," Leo snorted.

**The room shook as the boulder was pushed aside. Looming in the doorway was a Cyclops so huge he made Tyson look vertically challenged.**

"You mean 'short'?" Jason chuckled. "I like that; instead of short you're 'vertically challenged.'"

"I prefer travel-sized," Piper grinned.

"Or fun-sized," Leo added, grinning as well.

**He had jagged yellow teeth and gnarled hands as big as my whole body. He wore a faded purple T-shirt that said WORLD SHEEP EXPO 2001.**

"They make t-shirts that size?" Leo cackled. "Dude!"

**He must've been at least fifteen feet tall, but the most startling thing was his enormous milky eye, scarred and webbed with cataracts.**

Athena smiled, a touch of nostalgia lingering in her silver eyes.

**If he wasn't completely blind, he had to be pretty darn close.**

"Lucky for Grover," Piper said.

**"What are you doing?" the monster demanded.**

**"Nothing!" Grover said in his falsetto voice. "Just weaving my bridal train, as you can see."**

"No, actually, I can't," Leo snickered.

**The Cyclops stuck one hand into the room and groped around until he found the loom. He pawed at the cloth. "It hasn't gotten any longer!"**

**"Oh, um, yes it has, dearest. See? I've added at least an inch."**

"Oh, a whole inch, I can hardly believe it," Apollo remarked, his tone bordering on sarcastic.

**"Too many delays!" the monster bellowed. Then he sniffed the air. "You smell good! Like goats!"**

**"Oh." Grover forced a weak giggle. "Do you like it? It's _Eau de Chevre. _I wore it just **

**for you."**

"Quick thinking," Athena praised dryly.

**"Mmmm!" The Cyclops bared his pointed teeth. "Good enough to eat!"**

**"Oh, you're such a flirt!"**

"Excuse me as I vomit," Nico deadpanned.

"You're excused," his father said, with the exact same tone.

For a moment, father and son stared each other down; but Nico cracked first and began to laugh. Hades just smirked and shook his head.

**"No more delays!"**

**"But dear, I'm not done!"**

**"Tomorrow!"**

Thalia sucked in a sharp breath.

**"No, no. Ten more days."**

**"Five!"**

**"Oh, well, seven then. If you insist."**

**"Seven! That is less than five, right?"**

Apollo choked on his laugh.

**"Certainly. Oh yes."**

**The monster grumbled, still not happy with his deal, but he left Grover to his weaving and rolled the boulder back into place. Grover closed his eyes and took a shaky breath, trying to calm his nerves.**

"I doubt it worked much," Ares snorted.

**"Hurry, Percy," he muttered. "Please, please, please!"**

"One hero, coming up," Apollo chuckled.

**I woke to a ship's whistle and a voice on the intercom— some guy with an Australian accent who sounded way too happy.**

"Freaking morning people..."

**"Good morning, passengers! We'll be at sea all day today. Excellent weather for the poolside mambo party!**

"Eh... limbo's better."

"Hush, twin."

**Don't forget million-dollar bingo in the Kraken Lounge at one o'clock, and for our _special guests, _disemboweling practice on the Promenade!"**

"Well, there goes the surprise element," Hades drawled. "This will be interesting."

"If it involves a child of the Big Three, you bet it's going to be interesting," Demeter scoffed.

**I sat up in bed. "What did he say?"**

**Tyson groaned, still half asleep. He was lying face down on the couch, his feet so far over the edge they were in the bathroom. "The happy man said ... bowling practice?"**

"Not so much," Hermes shook his head.

"Bowling... now there's a sport that you wouldn't expect to be as much fun as it is," Apollo remarked, nodding as he spoke.

**I hoped he was right, but then there was an urgent knock on the suite's interior door. Annabeth stuck her head in—her blonde hair in a rat's nest.**

Annabeth groaned, her face turning a dull red.

**_"Disemboweling _practice?"**

"At least someone heard what was said then," Jason remarked, his mouth quirking.

**Once we were all dressed, we ventured out into the ship and were surprised to see other people.**

"Ew~! People," Leo made a hissing noise, like a cat whose just had their tail trod on.

"Leo!" Piper laughed.

**A dozen senior citizens were heading to breakfast. A dad was taking his kids to the pool for a morning swim. Crew members in crisp white uniforms strolled the deck, tipping their hats to the passengers.**

"Sounds lovely," Dionysus drawled.

**Nobody asked who we were. Nobody paid us much attention. But there was something wrong. As the family of swimmers passed us, the dad told his kids: "We are on a cruise. We are having fun."**

**"Yes," his three kids said in unison, their expressions blank. "We are having a blast. We will swim in the pool."**

"Alright... that's a little... zombie-like," Leo grimaced.

"Just a touch," Jason snorted.

Leo snickered.

**They wandered off.**

**"Good morning," a crew member told us, his eyes glazed. "We are all enjoying ourselves aboard the _Princess Andromeda. _Have a nice day." He drifted away.**

"Dude, is this zombie land?"

"There's a possibility."

**"Percy, this is weird," Annabeth whispered. "They're all in some kind of trance."**

**Then we passed a cafeteria and saw our first monster.**

"Please buckle you seatbelts and keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times, thank you," Apollo snorted.

**It was a hellhound—**

Hades grimaced.

**a black mastiff with its front paws up on the buffet line and its muzzle buried in the scrambled eggs. It must've been young, because it was small compared to most—no bigger than a grizzly bear.**

"You know you're in deep when a grizzly bear is considered small," Piper remarked dryly.

**Still, my blood turned cold. I'd almost gotten killed by one of those before.**

Poseidon cocked an unamused brow at his brother.

**The weird thing was: a middle-aged couple was standing in the buffet line right behind the devil dog, patiently waiting their turn for the eggs. They didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.**

"The Mist, obviously," Dionysus said.

"If it's so obvious, then why do you have to comment on it?"

Dionysus shot Apollo an irritated look.

**"Not hungry anymore," Tyson murmured.**

"The feeling was mutual," Annabeth snorted.

**Before Annabeth or I could reply, a reptilian voice came from down the corridor, "Ssssix more joined yesssterday."**

**Annabeth gestured frantically toward the nearest hiding place—the women's room—and all three of us ducked inside. I was so freaked out it didn't even occur to me to be embarrassed.**

Thalia scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. "Boys," she muttered.

**Something—or more like _two _somethings—slithered past the bathroom door, making sounds like sandpaper against the carpet.**

"Snakes," Leo mock-shivered. "I hate snakes."

"Asps, very dangerous," Piper said, mock-seriousness in her voice.

"You go first," Leo grinned.

"What are you talking about?" Nico frowned.

"Indiana Jones, of course!"

"Of course."

**"Yesss," a second reptilian voice said. "He drawssss them. Ssssoon we will be sssstrong."**

The gods exchanged wary looks.

**The things slithered into the cafeteria with a cold hissing that might have been snake laughter.**

**Annabeth looked at me. "We have to get out of here."**

**"You think I _want _to be in the girls' restroom?"**

"I do not think that's what she meant, Percy," Poseidon chuckled.

**"I mean the ship, Percy! We have to get off the ship."**

**"Smells bad," Tyson agreed. "And dogs eat all the eggs.**

"NOOOO~! Not the eggs! Oh, the calamity!"

"Leo!"

**Annabeth is right. We must leave the restroom and ship."**

**I shuddered. If Annabeth and Tyson were actually _agreeing _about something, I figured I'd better listen.**

"Fair reasoning," Hermes commented.

**Then I heard another voice outside—one that chilled me worse than any monster's.**

**"—only a matter of time. Don't push me, Agrius!"**

**It was Luke,**

Like air being let out of a tire, Hermes suddenly deflated, hunching in on himself tiredly. His blue eyes grew dark and saddened, as he listened to the dark exploits of his son.

**beyond a doubt. I could never forget his voice.**

**"I'm not pushing you!" another guy growled. His voice was deeper and even angrier than Luke's. "I'm just saying, if this gamble doesn't pay off—"**

Athena grew wary, her fingers steepling in front of her face as her eyes narrowed in thought.

**"It'll pay off," Luke snapped. "They'll take the bait. Now, come, we've got to get to the admiralty suite and check on the casket."**

Annabeth shivered.

**Their voices receded down the corridor.**

**Tyson whimpered. "Leave now?"**

**Annabeth and I exchanged looks and came to a silent agreement.**

The sea god tensed.

**"We can't,"**

Poseidon's eyes closed and he exhaled slowly.

**I told Tyson. "We have to find out what Luke is up to," Annabeth agreed. "And if possible, we're going to beat him up, bind him in chains, and drag him to Mount Olympus."**

"In favour of that idea, if you could pull it off," Hephaestus rumbled.

"Spoiler: we don't," Annabeth said flatly.

"Well, in any case, that's in the next chapter, so...?" Nico waved the book slightly.

"I'll read," Hermes said, his voice low and gravelly.

"You just read, Hermes, I'll do it," Apollo told him, a flash of protectiveness running through his eyes.

Hermes gave him an unreadable look, as if not sure if Apollo was giving him pity or protecting him. But after a brief moment, Hermes nodded and Apollo took the book instead.

"Chapter nine," he said, "I Have the Worst Family Reunion Ever."

* * *

And here we stand. I have a bit to work on this week... so expect the next chapter on Sunday.

I got a review from the anonymous person who named themselves 'Ugh'. Thus, I'd like to ask my readers: do you think Annabeth is OOC (out of character)? And dear sir Ugh (or Madame, as the case may very well be), I have absolutely no issue if I get a review detailing constructive criticism; in fact, I welcome it! I am hardly perfect, nor do I pretend to be so. But I must ask that you give me reasons as to why I shouldn't 'leave it like this'.

In any case, I'm off to Tim Horton's for a coffee; see you on Sunday!

~LastTruth


	36. Chapter 36

**I Have the Worst Family Reunion Ever**

"Ouch," Apollo chuckled.

**Annabeth volunteered to go alone since she had the cap of invisibility, but I convinced her it was too dangerous. Either we all went together, or nobody went.**

"Fair, though still not ideal," Jason grimaced.

"Nothing about this is ideal," Piper reminded him, "but with no means of communication if something does happen, it's best they stick together."

**"Nobody!" Tyson voted. "Please?"**

"Yes, let's send Nobody," Nico grinned faintly.

"That was a horrible joke," Thalia told him, grinning back nonetheless.

**But in the end he came along, nervously chewing on his huge fingernails. We stopped at our cabin long enough to gather our stuff.**

Athena nodded.

**We figured whatever happened, we would _not _be staying another night aboard the zombie cruise ship, even if they did have million-dollar bingo.**

**I made sure Riptide was in my pocket and the vitamins and thermos from Hermes were at the top of my bag.**

Hermes grinned at that.

**I didn't want Tyson to carry everything, but he insisted, and Annabeth told me not to worry about it. Tyson could carry three full duffel bags over his shoulder as easily as I could carry a backpack.**

"Poseidon, I don't approve of how sweet your children are," Aphrodite pouted. "I want one."

"No you don't, babe," Ares snorted.

"Hmph... you're right. I only want Percy," Aphrodite beamed, "you don't mind, do you, Annabeth?"

"Percy is hardly a pet," she replied dryly.

"If he is, he's a horribly trained one," Thalia snickered.

"Don't be mean, Thals," Annabeth told her, rolling her eyes.

"Percy and Nico are like my little brothers; I'm so allowed to be mean to them."

"I'm older than you are!" Nico protested.

"Only technically, pipsqueak," Thalia grinned, mussing his hair (much to Nico's annoyance).

Zeus cocked a brow, Poseidon chuckled and Hades rolled his eyes.

**We sneaked through the corridors, following the ship's YOU ARE HERE signs toward the admiralty suite. Annabeth scouted ahead invisibly. We hid whenever someone passed by, but most of the people we saw were just glassy-eyed zombie passengers.**

"Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing," Piper grimaced.

"Well," Leo remarked, "good because it means less monsters; bad because... well, innocent lives are currently being destroyed."

"Cheery," Jason muttered.

**As we came up the stairs to deck thirteen, where the admiralty suite was supposed to be, Annabeth hissed, "Hide!" and shoved us into a supply closet.**

Aphrodite grinned lasciviously and Annabeth flushed.

**I heard a couple of guys coming down the hall.**

**"You see that Aethiopian drakon in the cargo hold?" one of them said.**

Artemis bristled.

**The other laughed. "Yeah, it's awesome."**

**Annabeth was still invisible, but she squeezed my arm hard. I got a feeling I should know that second guy's voice.**

The gods immediately frowned, exchanging looks with one another. The only way Percy would know that voice is if it were from Camp Half-Blood. So the question now stood: whose child was it?

**"I hear they got two more coming," the familiar voicesaid. "They keep arriving at this rate, oh, man—no contest!" The voices faded down the corridor.**

**"That was Chris Rodriguez!" Annabeth took off her cap and turned visible. "You remember—from Cabin Eleven."**

Hermes stiffened, his mind whirring to remember all of the names of his children. His body relaxed when he realized that he never sired a child with the surname of 'Rodriguez'.

**I sort of recalled Chris from the summer before. He was one of those undetermined campers who got stuck in the Hermes cabin because his Olympian dad or mom never claimed him.**

The demigods looked both angry and resigned; the gods, however, just went stone-faced.

**Now that I thought about it, I realized I hadn't seen Chris at camp this summer. "What's another half-blood doing here?"**

"Isn't it obvious?" Dionysus asked, though his voice lacked the usual scorn.

**Annabeth shook her head, clearly troubled.**

**We kept going down the corridor. I didn't need maps anymore to know I was getting close to Luke. I sensed something cold and unpleasant—the presence of evil.**

Hermes jaw tightened. In his mind, his grandfather had no right to be anywhere near his son; but at the same time, he was furious with Luke over going to Kronos' side in the first place! His son was smart and strong and skilled, he could do so much more than helping that old bastard!

**"Percy." Annabeth stopped suddenly. "Look."**

**She stood in front of a glass wall looking down into the multistory canyon that ran through the middle of the ship. At the bottom was the Promenade—a mall full of shops— but that's not what had caught Annabeth's attention.**

"Yeah, it's not exactly Percy's style," Thalia muttered in response.

**A group of monsters had assembled in front of the candy store:**

"Nice choice," Leo remarked dryly.

"Well you know, taking over the world does tend to build up an appetite," Nico snorted.

**a dozen Laistrygonian giants like the ones who'd attacked me with dodge balls, two hellhounds, and a few even stranger creatures—humanoid females with twin serpent tails instead of legs.**

**"Scythian Dracaenae," Annabeth whispered. "Dragon women."**

"How wonderful," Demeter drawled. "This just keeps getting better and better."

"You're going to have to do some serious running to get off of the ship," Piper said, gnawing on her lower lip worriedly. Jason, upon seeing this, gripped her hand in response; Piper smiled at him faintly. Zeus, however, saw this and frowned.

**The monsters made a semicircle around a young guy in Greek armour who was hacking on a straw dummy. A lump formed in my throat when I realized the dummy was wearing an orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt.**

The gods tensed and the demigods went quiet; Jason shifted uncomfortably and ran a hand through his hair. Piper squeezed his hand comfortingly.

**As we watched, the guy in armour stabbed the dummy through its belly and ripped upward. Straw flew everywhere. The monsters cheered and howled. Annabeth stepped away from the window. Her face was ashen.**

Thalia gripped her shoulder.

**"Come on," I told her, trying to sound braver than I felt.**

Annabeth smiled weakly, tugging at his sweater.

**"The sooner we find Luke the better."**

"An unfortunate truth," Athena remarked grimly.

**At the end of the hallway were double oak doors that looked like they must lead somewhere important. When we were thirty feet away, Tyson stopped. "Voices inside."**

Hermes tensed; he had a feeling...

**"You can hear that far?" I asked.**

"Obviously," Dionysus drawled.

**Tyson closed his eye like he was concentrating hard. Then his voice changed, becoming a husky approximation of Luke's.**

Hermes ran a hand through his hair as Martha and George began to hiss at him soothingly.

**"—the prophecy ourselves. The fools won't know which way to turn."**

**Before I could react, Tyson's voice changed again, becoming deeper and gruffer, like the other guy we'd heard talking to Luke outside the cafeteria. "You really think the old horseman is gone for good?"**

Zeus' jaw clenched and his eyes became darker than normal.

**Tyson laughed Luke's laugh. "They can't trust him. Not with the skeletons in _his _closet.**

Leo and Piper looked confused, Jason just frowned.

**The poisoning of the tree was the final straw."**

Thalia stiffened with anger.

**Annabeth shivered. "Stop that, Tyson! How do you do that? It's creepy."**

**Tyson opened his eye and looked puzzled. "Just listening."**

"Admittedly creepy," Nico commented.

"Says the necromancer," Thalia muttered; Nico elbowed her.

"But also useful," he continued, giving her a look.

**"Keep going," I said. "What else are they saying?"**

**Tyson closed his eye again. He hissed in the gruff man's voice: "Quiet!" Then Luke's voice, whispering: "Are you sure?"**

**"Yes," Tyson said in the gruff voice. "Right outside."**

"Well, crap," Nico said blandly.

"Language," Demeter admonished.

"Er... sorry?"

"Hmph."

"Demeter," Hades sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "he's not your grandson."

"No, but he's a step-grandson," she sniffed. "And with the way the rest of the Olympians treat both you and my darling daughter, it's only right that he be included with us."

Hades inclined his head and Nico couldn't quite erase the shy smile on his mouth; Thalia blinked at the sight and then grimaced, she kept forgetting just how young Nico was.

**Too late, I realized what was happening.**

**I just had time to say, "Run!" when the doors of the stateroom burst open and there was Luke, flanked by two hairy giants armed with javelins, their bronze tips aimed right at our chests.**

"Great," Ares scoffed. "Just bloody perfect."

**"Well," Luke said with a crooked smile. "If it isn't my two favourite cousins. Come right in."**

A fission of tension raced through the room.

**The stateroom was beautiful, and it was horrible.**

**The beautiful part: Huge windows curved along the back wall, looking out over the stern of the ship. Green sea**

Annabeth tried to ignore the way her heart jumped and ached.

**and blue sky stretched all the way to the horizon. A Persian rug covered the floor. Two plush sofas occupied the middle of the room, with a canopied bed in one corner and a mahogany dining table in the other. The table was loaded with food—pizza boxes, bottles of soda, and a stack of roast beef sandwiches on a silver platter.**

Leo moved forward at that, swiping a cookie off of one of the plates sitting on the coffee table.

**The horrible part: On a velvet dais at the back of the room lay a ten-foot-long golden casket.**

The six eldest Olympians: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Hestia and Demeter all stiffened at the mention. They knew, instinctively, what was in that box.

**A sarcophagus, engraved with Ancient Greek scenes of cities in flames and heroes dying grisly deaths.**

"Sounds like the Percy saw in hell," Jason muttered.

**Despite the sunlight streaming through the windows, the casket made the whole room feel cold.**

"I am not surprised," Zeus rumbled. "Father always did have a particular... aura about him."

"Yes," Poseidon agreed grimly, "one of death and cold."

**"Well," Luke said, spreading his arms proudly. "A little nicer than Cabin Eleven, huh?"**

Hermes scowled, finding the anger easier to use than the terrible sadness.

**He'd changed since the last summer. Instead of Bermuda shorts and a T-shirt, he wore a button-down shirt, khaki pants, and leather loafers. His sandy hair, which used to be so unruly, was now clipped short. He looked like an evil male model, showing off what the fashionable college-age villain was wearing to Harvard this year.**

"Heh," Apollo grinned weakly, "one thing to say for Percy: he's got a good sense of humour."

"And irony," Artemis added dryly. "But nevermind that now, read on, twin."

**He still had the scar under his eye—a jagged white line from his battle with a dragon. And propped against the sofa was his magical sword, Backbiter, glinting strangely with its half-steel, half-Celestial bronze blade that could kill both mortals and monsters.**

"An unnatural weapon," Hephaestus grunted, "it could explode at any moment. The two metals automatically repel one another; it's not right."

"I don't think Luke cares," Thalia said, she fought to keep her voice hard but a sliver of sadness managed to slip it's way into her undertone.

**"Sit," he told us. He waved his hand and three dining chairs scooted themselves into the centre of the room.**

The gods tensed; Luke should not be able to perform such a feat. Perhaps a child of Zeus could, bending the wind to suit their will; but a child of Hermes? Impossible.

**None of us sat.**

"For obvious reasons, I should think," Athena said.

**Luke's large friends were still pointing their javelins at us. They looked like twins, but they weren't human.**

Artemis stiffened suddenly.

**They stood about eight feet tall, for one thing, and wore only blue jeans, probably because their enormous chests were already shag-carpeted with thick brown fur. **

Aphrodite wrinkled her nose. "Hm, a little too seventies for my tastes."

**They had claws for fingernails, feet like paws. Their noses were snout like, and their teeth were all pointed canines.**

**"Where are my manners?" Luke said smoothly. "These are my assistants, Agrius and Oreius. Perhaps you've heard of them."**

Artemis grit her teeth, her silvery-yellow eyes flashing dangerously.

**I said nothing. Despite the javelins pointed at me, it wasn't the bear twins who scared me.**

"No, I reckon it wouldn't be," Poseidon murmured.

**I'd imagined meeting Luke again many times since he'd tried to kill me last summer. I'd pictured myself boldly standing up to him, challenging him to a duel. But now that we were face-to-face, I could barely stop my hands from shaking.**

"You were imagining the person you knew, not the person who is," Athena spoke sagely.

**"You don't know Agrius and Oreius's story?" Luke asked. "Their mother ... well, it's sad, really.**

"Aren't most stories in Greek mythology?" Piper muttered.

**Aphrodite ordered the young woman to fall in love.**

"I order no one, I only guide," Aphrodite frowned. "And to refuse is not only an insult to me, but it's also denying who you are and it's cruel to the other person."

**She refused and ran to Artemis for help.**

Aphrodite rolled her eyes.

**Artemis let her become one of her maiden huntresses, but Aphrodite got her revenge.**

"As I said, it was not only an insult but cruel," Aphrodite sniffed. "Besides, love is an inherent part to all of us. It's arrogant to think otherwise."

"There is nothing wrong with wishing to remain chaste," Artemis glared at her. "Nor is there anything wrong with wishing to stay away from love!"

"A girl's argument," Aphrodite retorted, "love is beautiful! It's not something to run away from! If you wish to remain chaste, then so be it; that's your decision and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it! But love is _not_ the same thing as sex!"

"Ladies!" Athena intervened loudly. "This is neither the time nor the place, let us read on and put this argument behind us."

Artemis and Aphrodite both looked rebellious and furious, but they did as they were asked.

**She bewitched the young woman into falling in love with a bear. When Artemis found out, she abandoned the girl in disgust.**

"Because Artemis fears that which she does not understand," Aphrodite muttered, "and the pinnacle of that is love."

"Babe, it was a bear." Ares pointed out, but immediately fell silent at the look he was given.

Artemis glared at Aphrodite. "I am the maiden huntress, I cannot condone sexual love."

**Typical of the gods, wouldn't you say? They fight with one another and the poor humans get caught in the middle.**

"My apologies that we're not as perfect as you'd like," Dionysus scoffed. "But it's not like humans are so perfect either. You think we create these wars? Please, boy, the majority of wars are created by you demigods and humans and your incessant need to prove your dominance. World War One and Two were not created by us; that was your own arrogance coming out to play! Foolish brat."

"But it's not just us," Jason protested, looking annoyed, "that's his point! We're human, so no one expects anything more from us. But you lot are gods! And whenever a god does something that even humans find ridiculous, you lot justify it by saying: 'well, the humans did it first!' and that's bullshit!"

"No one is perfect, Jason," Piper interjected swiftly before Dionysus could turn anymore purple than he already was. "That's the whole point of this. _Yes_, the gods are arrogant, but we also put them on a pedestal and get angry when they don't reach our sky-high expectations."

"Can we all just agree that we hate the one behind all of this and stop fighting?" Leo asked weakly.

"Agreed, let me read!" Apollo added loudly before beginning to do just that.

**The girl's twin sons here, Agrius and Oreius, have no love for Olympus. They like half-bloods well enough, though..."**

"No they don't," Annabeth muttered. "Agrius and Oreius like neither man nor god."

**"For lunch,"**

The daughter of Athena merely shook her head.

**Agrius growled. His gruff voice was the one I'd heard talking with Luke earlier.**

**"Hehe! Hehe!" His brother Oreius laughed, licking his fur-lined lips.**

"Sexy," Leo grimaced.

**He kept laughing like he was having an asthmatic fit until Luke and Agrius both stared at him.**

"Well then," Nico remarked dryly.

**"Shut up, you idiot!" Agrius growled. "Go punish yourself!"**

"Say what?" Leo looked amused.

**Oreius whimpered. He trudged over to the corner of the room, slumped onto a stool, and banged his forehead against the dining table, making the silver plates rattle.**

As soon as Apollo finished the line, Leo broke into sniggers.

**Luke acted like this was perfectly normal behaviour. He made himself comfortable on the sofa and propped his feet up on the coffee table. "Well, Percy, we let you survive another year. I hope you appreciated it. How's your mom? How's school?"**

Poseidon's jaw tightened and his sea-green eyes narrowed.

**"You poisoned Thalia's tree."**

**Luke sighed. "Right to the point, eh? Okay, sure I poisoned the tree. So what?"**

Zeus growled low in his throat and lightning forked across the sky.

**"How could you?" Annabeth sounded so angry I thought she'd explode. "Thalia saved your life! _Our _lives! How could you dishonour her—"**

Thalia gave her a side-hug.

**"I didn't dishonour her!" Luke snapped. "The gods dishonoured her, Annabeth!**

Lightning forked again and Zeus looked livid.

**If Thalia were alive, she'd be on my side."**

"I would not!" Thalia exploded, her hands crackling with electricity.

Jason looked up at Leo and the two nodded, switching places easily. From there, Jason tugged his sister into a hug, holding her tightly. The sparks she gave off only seemed to connect to Jason and dance away again; not harming him in the slightest as he calmed her down.

**"Liar!"**

**"If you knew what was coming, you'd understand—"**

If the gods hadn't been tense before, they certainly would have been now.

**"I understand you want to destroy the camp!" she yelled. "You're a monster!"**

**Luke shook his head. "The gods have blinded you.**

Zeus was seething and Hera looked downright formidable.

**Can't you imagine a world without them, Annabeth? What good is that ancient history you study?**

"That arrogant little brat," Demeter scowled.

**Three thousand years of baggage! The West is rotten to the core. It has to be destroyed. Join me! We can start the world anew.**

Thalia, Jason and Zeus looked so similar in that moment that it was almost terrifying.

**We could use your intelligence, Annabeth."**

**"Because you have none of your own!"**

"That's my daughter," Athena said, a look in her eye said she was fiercely approving.

**His eyes narrowed. "I know you, Annabeth. You deserve better than tagging along on some hopeless quest to save the camp. Half-Blood Hill will be overrun by monsters within the month.**

Even Apollo looked angry at that. He may have been laid back and more about jokes than seriousness, but mess with his kids and he'd kick the shit out of you.

**The heroes who survive will have no choice but to join us or be hunted to extinction. You really want to be on a losing team ... with company like this?" **

**Luke pointed at Tyson.**

"Brat," Artemis bristled.

**"Hey!" I said.**

**"Travelling with a _Cyclops_," Luke chided. "Talk about dishonouring Thalia's memory!**

A particularly violent spark of lightning shot across the room to crash into the opposing wall between Zeus and Hades; a crack now running through the wall.

**I'm surprised at you, Annabeth. You of all people—"**

**"Stop it!" she shouted.**

**I didn't know what Luke was talking about, but Annabeth buried her head in her hands like she was about to cry.**

Annabeth tugged Percy's sweater around her body, a frown on her face and deep sadness welling in her silver eyes.

**"Leave her alone," I said. "And leave Tyson out this."**

**Luke laughed. "Oh, yeah, I heard. Your father claimed him."**

Poseidon stiffened.

**I must have looked surprised, because Luke smiled. "Yes, Percy, I know all about that. And about your plan to find the Fleece.**

"The camp is compromised then," Athena frowned in thought.

**What were those coordinates, again ... 30, 31, 75, 12? You see, I still have friends at camp who keep me posted."**

**"Spies, you mean."**

Dionysus looked annoyed.

**He shrugged. "How many insults from your father can you stand, Percy? You think he's grateful to you? You think Poseidon cares for you any more than he cares for this monster?"**

Poseidon hissed, an insidious noise that Annabeth once likened to a kraken slipping out of the water. The sea god was seething with the insult Luke had just doled.

**Tyson clenched his fists and made a rumbling sound down in his throat.**

**Luke just chuckled. "The gods are so using you, Percy. Do you have any idea what's in store for you if you reach your sixteenth birthday? Has Chiron even _told _you the prophecy?"**

"No, and for good reason," Hades said darkly.

**I wanted to get in Luke's face and tell him off, but as usual, he knew just how to throw me off balance.**

Poseidon's teeth grit and his eyes flared.

_**Sixteenth birthday?**_

**I mean, I knew Chiron had received a prophecy from the Oracle many years ago. I knew part of it was about me. But, _if _I reached my sixteenth birthday? I didn't like the sound of that.**

**"I know what I need to know," I managed. "Like, who my enemies are."**

"Well said," Athena nodded firmly.

**"Then you're a fool."**

**Tyson smashed the nearest dining chair to splinters. "Percy is not a fool!"**

"Here we go," Ares muttered.

**Before I could stop him, he charged Luke. His fists came down toward Luke's head—a double overhead blow that would've knocked a hole in titanium—but the bear twins intercepted.**

Hestia sighed, her eyes sad as she listened to this.

**They each caught one of Tyson's arms and stopped him cold. They pushed him back and Tyson stumbled. He fell to the carpet so hard the deck shook.**

Ares frowned. On the one hand, he was pissed that the demigods were getting whooped so easily; but on the other, he was oddly proud at Agrius and Oreius. After all, they were descended from one of his children.

**"Too bad, Cyclops," Luke said. "Looks like my grizzly friends together are more than a match for your strength. Maybe I should let them—"**

**"Luke," I cut in. "Listen to me. Your father sent us."**

"He's not going to like that," Hermes muttered.

"Is this not why you sent them?" Poseidon rebuked.

Hermes looked up at him, pain clouding his blue eyes. "Wouldn't you?"

Poseidon didn't respond, but the look in his eyes spoke volumes.

**His face turned the colour of pepperoni. "Don't—_even_—mention him."**

**"He told us to take this boat. I thought it was just for a ride, but he sent us here to find you. He told me he won't give up on you, no matter how angry you are."**

"A father never should," Athena said, her voice quiet. "No matter how much they may disagree with their child; they should never give up on them."

**_"Angry?" _Luke roared. "_Give up on me? _He abandoned me, Percy!**

Hermes stiffened.

**I want Olympus destroyed! Every throne crushed to rubble!**

From irritated anger to furious shaking, every god was effected by those words.

**You tell Hermes it's going to happen, too. Each time a half-blood joins us, the Olympians grow weaker and we grow stronger.**

Zeus scowled.

**_He _grows stronger." Luke pointed to the gold sarcophagus.**

"Dude," Leo breathed in surprise.

**The box creeped me out, but I was determined not to show it. "So?" I demanded. "What's so special..." Then it hit me, what might be inside the sarcophagus. The temperature in the room seemed to drop twenty degrees. "Whoa, you don't mean—"**

"I think you'll find that he does," Hades said grimly.

**"He is re-forming," Luke said. "Little by little, we're calling his life force out of the pit.**

The three brothers exchanged grim looks.

**With every recruit who pledges our cause, another small piece appears—"**

**"That's disgusting!" Annabeth said.**

**Luke sneered at her. "Your mother was born from Zeus's split skull, Annabeth. I wouldn't talk.**

Athena scowled darkly and Annabeth tossed her head.

**Soon there will be enough of the titan lord so that we can make him whole again. We will piece together a new body for him, a work worthy of the forges of Hephaestus."**

Hephaestus' eyes narrowed in anger.

**"You're insane," Annabeth said.**

**"Join us and you'll be rewarded. We have powerful friends, sponsors rich enough to buy this cruise ship and much more.**

"Money cannot solve every problem, and the path you travel will only bring you more," Athena said grimly.

**Percy, your mother will never have to work again. You can buy her a mansion.**

The sea god readjusted his grip on his trident.

**You can have power, fame—whatever you want. Annabeth, you can realize your dream of being an architect. You can build a monument to last a thousand years. A temple to the lords of the next age!"**

Annabeth tugged on her hair harshly.

**"Go to Tartarus," she said.**

Athena nodded approvingly.

**Luke sighed. "A shame."**

"Potes meos suaviari clunes," Nico muttered.

"Woah, Nico, language," Leo chided with a weak laugh.

"Latin, thanks for asking," Nico deadpanned.

**He picked up something that looked like a TV remote and pressed a red button. Within seconds the door of the stateroom opened and two uniformed crew members came in, armed with nightsticks. They had the same glassy-eyed look as the other mortals I'd seen, but I had a feeling this wouldn't make them any less dangerous in a fight.**

"If anything, it'll probably only make them worse," Ares commented, his eyes burning hotter than normal.

**"Ah, good, security," Luke said, "I'm afraid we have some stowaways."**

**"Yes, sir," they said dreamily.**

**Luke turned to Oreius. "It's time to feed the Aethiopian drakon. Take these fools below and show them how it's done."**

Poseidon and Athena tensed in their chairs.

**Oreius grinned stupidly. "Hehe! Hehe!"**

**"Let me go, too," Agrius grumbled. "My brother is worthless. That Cyclops—"**

**"Is no threat," Luke said. He glanced back at the golden casket, as if something were troubling him. "Agrius, stay here. We have important matters to discuss."**

Zeus' mouth turned downwards; he had a feeling...

**"But—"**

**"Oreius, don't fail me. Stay in the hold to make sure the drakon is properly fed."**

**Oreius prodded us with his javelin and herded us out of the stateroom, followed by the two human security guards.**

Ares shook his head.

**As I walked down the corridor with Oreius's javelin poking me in the back, I thought about what Luke had said—that the bear twins _together _were a match for Tyson's strength. But maybe separately …**

"That seems a little too easy," Athena murmured.

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," Apollo reminded.

Athena gave him an irritated look.

**We exited the corridor amidships and walked across an open deck lined with lifeboats. I knew the ship well enough to realize this would be our last look at sunlight.**

Annabeth shifted in her seat, hiding her pleased smile.

**Once we got to the other side, we'd take the elevator down into the hold, and that would be it.**

**I looked at Tyson and said, "Now."**

**Thank the gods, he understood. He turned and smacked Oreius thirty feet backward into the swimming pool, right into the middle of the zombie tourist family.**

Leo whooped; the tension shattering in the wake of this small success.

**"Ah!" the kids yelled in unison. "We are _not _having a blast in the pool!"**

A number of people laughed, thankful for the break in stressful situations.

**One of the security guards drew his nightstick, but Annabeth knocked the wind out of him with a well-placed kick. The other guard ran for the nearest alarm box.**

**"Stop him!" Annabeth yelled, but it was too late.**

"Well, shit," Ares snorted.

**Just before I banged him on head with a deck chair, he hit the alarm.**

**Red lights flashed. Sirens wailed.**

**"Lifeboat!" I yelled.**

Poseidon relaxed somewhat at that. He'd feel much better once his son was on his territory.

**We ran for the nearest one.**

**By the time we got the cover off, monsters and more security men were swarming the deck, pushing aside tourists and waiters with trays of tropical drinks. A guy in Greek armour drew his sword and charged, but slipped in a puddle of piña colada.**

Apollo choked holding back his laughter.

**Laistrygonian archers assembled on the deck above us, notching arrows in their enormous bows.**

Thalia leaned forward, Jason's arm still draped across his shoulders.

**"How do you launch this thing?" screamed Annabeth.**

**A hellhound leaped at me, but Tyson slammed it aside with a fire extinguisher.**

"Good," Hephaestus rumbled.

**"Get in!" I yelled. I uncapped Riptide and slashed the first volley of arrows out of the air. Any second we would be overwhelmed.**

"Might want to move fast then," Leo said, practically bouncing with anticipation.

**The lifeboat was hanging over the side of the ship, high above the water. Annabeth and Tyson were having no luck with the release pulley.**

**I jumped in beside them.**

**"Hold on!" I yelled, and I cut the ropes.**

"Nice tactic," Dionysus muttered dryly.

**A shower of arrows whistled over our heads as we free-fell toward the ocean.**

"Chapter's done," Apollo declared.

"How about we take a break, hm?" Hera suggested.

"Agreed," Hermes muttered, moving out the door not a second later.

Annabeth watched him go for a moment before getting to her feet and following him out the door.

* * *

Potes Meos Suaviari Clunes: You can kiss my ass

Ooh, look at that, I'm early! Expect the next chapter around Sunday.

In personal news: I may be big enough to give blood, isn't that awesome? :D When I tried to give blood a few months ago, I was told that as a 5'3" girl who weighed somewhere between 110 - 120 lbs, I was too small to give blood (height-weight requires me to be 5'3"and 124 lbs). But I've recently weighed myself in at 119 lbs, which means that I might be able to squeeze in and give blood. :D

I also wanted to thank everyone for the kind words they sent me. You guys rock!

So, question: since I've asked who your favourite gods are. Here's a new question. Out of the gods and goddesses, who would be your mother and/or father? Who's your best friend? Who's your boyfriend/girlfriend? Who's your worst enemy?

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	37. Chapter 37

It's surprising, to some extent, how many wouldn't bother to go after the god of messengers because they believe he'd immediately take to the skies. But as Hermes was a clever god, he knew if he stayed closer to them, they'd have a harder time of finding him. After all, who would search the ground for man who's normally in the skies?

At least, that was Annabeth's logic when she went after him. It's also how she found him not five minutes later, lazily drifting on a cloud as it passed low by the mountain.

"Lord Hermes," she said, her voice softer than usual.

"'lo," he greeted, his normal cheeriness just a touch forced. "I thought we were all getting a break? Or was it a time-out? I can never remember with this family."

"We were," Annabeth nodded, moving closer to hop onto the stone wall. "But that doesn't mean we have to take it alone."

Hermes looked at her then; timeless clever blue eyes meeting young quicksilver grey. Annabeth had a feeling that she knew what it was Hermes was searching for, but she had no way of knowing for sure. After a long moment, Hermes relaxed subtly and he shrugged, turning away from her.

Annabeth leant back on her palms, staring up at the cloudy sky. She wish she could convey to Hermes what a good man Luke really was. She wished that she could tell him that the boy he knew now, was going to remain a good person. But Annabeth didn't know how, or even if she could. Theoretically, it would be in the books and Hermes would find out that way. Still, Annabeth felt like she ought to be the one to bring it up, she just... didn't know how to articulate herself.

"You were Percy's sweater." It wasn't a question.

Annabeth's heart stuttered and a frown crossed her face as she turned to the god of messengers once more. Carefully weighing the risks in her mind, she nodded slowly. "Yes."

Hermes' mouth quirked. "Aphrodite is going to have a fit once she finds out."

Annabeth huffed out a breath of laughter, and the god's smile stretched into a grin. "I'm sorry," she said after a moment. "About Luke, I mean."

"It hasn't happened yet," Hermes reminded her, his grin slipping away. "And even if it does... well, not like I did much in the first place."

"You did more than a lot of gods would've," she reminded.

"But still not enough," Hermes shook his head. "But my troubles are not yours. I appreciate what you're trying to do, Daughter of Athena. But please, let me deal with them on my own."

Annabeth hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly and hopping down off the ledge, leaving the god to his thoughts.

Jason had never actually had a dad. Sure, he had a father biologically speaking, but just because you managed to donate your sperm to create a baby doesn't automatically make you a _dad_. In any case, since Jason had been at Camp Jupiter from the time that he was five years old, and had been raised as a soldier for the duration of his life; Jason had never had a father.

So now that he had been practically dragged (okay, so technically Zeus only had to stand and say his name in order to get him to follow, but really, if it were _you_...) out of the room, away from his girlfriend and his friends, and into a room that looked peculiarly like a study; Jason had to say that he wasn't quite sure how to act around this god.

"Jason..." Zeus' voice was but a mere rumble, like the warning of thunder before lightning strikes.

"Father," Jason responded uncomfortably, shifting his weight uncomfortably.

Upon realizing what he was doing, Jason forced himself to stop, and spread his legs to shoulder-width, gripping one wrist behind his back. Zeus noticed and nodded sharply, stepping closer to his son.

"Jason, I do not approve of your relationship with the Daughter of Aphrodite."

Jason stiffened, still holding his position. "Lord Zeus-"

"I am not Zeus."

Jason stopped and swallowed, looking closer at his father. Though Ze- _Jupiter_ was hardly dressed dissimilarly to Zeus, nor did he even physically look much different. His hair was darker, more of a black -like broiling thunder clouds; and his eyes had a streak of electric blue, like the same colour of Jason and Thalia's eyes. There was just... a look in his eye, calculating and systematic. It was a normal look to be seen in a soldier's eyes, especially when he's trying to figure out a new puzzle.

"Lord Jupiter," Jason corrected, "Piper is important to me-"

"She's a distraction."

If Jason were Percy, he'd've lashed out by now. But Percy was not a trained soldier; he was an instinctual one. Thus, Jason kept his calm and faced his father straight on.

"Yes," Jason admitted, "relationships, in both the form of romance and friendship, _are_ distractions. But good ones."

Jupiter cocked an unimpressed brow. "No distraction is good. Not when it pulls you away from the battle at hand."

"But when the battle at hand is so massive that it's detrimental to my well-being, it becomes important that I have an outlet." Jason countered.

Jupiter fell silent, watching his son closely. "I can abide by that," he said at last. "Perhaps I do not agree with this distraction being a daughter of Aphrodite. But I can agree."

"Husband," Hera called his attention. The two turned to see her standing just at the door. "Come. The others are eager to start."

Now that he was watching, Jason saw the brief flicker of light as Jupiter morphed back into Zeus. Jason wondered if it were a synergy thing, that if one god were in Roman form in a room full of Greeks, then they'd have a harder time remaining Roman. Nevertheless, Jason followed behind Hera and Zeus quietly, back into the room.

Piper looked half terrified when he returned, Annabeth was oddly quiet and Hermes had a faraway look in his eyes. But still, Jason sat himself directly beside his girlfriend and gripped her hand tightly, smiling at her comfortingly. Piper blushed faintly at the outright display, but she smiled nonetheless.

"I will be reading the next chapter," Hestia announced calmly. "Chapter ten: We Hitch a Ride with a Dead Confederate."

* * *

Fact 1: I hate this chapter, I think it sucks.

Fact 2: I was supposed to have uploaded this yesterday.

So, Hayley, why are you so late in posting this?

...Well... I am the Last Truth, so I better answer this honestly...

To be honest, I kind of got a burst of inspiration for my own work and got a little distracted from, like, everything. Which meant that I got behind on my school work, almost bombed a law test (passed, thank the gods) and now only have a week to complete my 60 minute seminar on the Catholic version of Justice and Mercy for a teacher who doesn't like me because my own views don't match up with what the catholic church dictates... not to say that all catholics are like this, mind you. Just this particular teacher.

But it's here now so... next chapter should be up in an hour or so.

~LastTruth


	38. Chapter 38

**We Hitch a Ride with Dead Confederate**

"That sounds kind of cool," Apollo chuckled.

**"Thermos!" I screamed as we hurtled toward the water.**

**_"What?" _Annabeth must've thought I'd lost my mind.**

"More or less," Annabeth admitted dryly.

**She was holding on to the boat straps for dear life, her hair flying straight up like a torch.**

Annabeth flushed and rolled her eyes at that.

**But Tyson understood. He managed to open my duffel bag and take out Hermes's magical thermos without losing his grip on it or the boat.**

"Impressive," Leo snickered.

**Arrows and javelins whistled past us.**

"Not good," Piper commented with a wince.

**I grabbed the thermos and hoped I was doing the right thing. "Hang on!"**

"Might be a smart idea," Hermes snorted, shaking his head.

**"I _am _hanging on!" Annabeth yelled.**

**"Tighter!"**

**I hooked my feet under the boat's inflatable bench, and as Tyson grabbed Annabeth and me by the backs of our shirts, I gave the thermos cap a quarter turn. Instantly, a white sheet of wind jetted out of the thermos and propelled us sideways, turning our downward plummet into a forty-five-degree crash landing.**

"I'm not sure if this is bloody awesome or freaking terrifying," Leo remarked, his eyes wide and a grin on his face.

**The wind seemed to laugh as it shot from the thermos, like it was glad to be free.**

"Well, I don't think anyone would be particularly happy being stuck in a thermos for too long," Apollo snorted.

**As we hit the ocean, we bumped once, twice, skipping like a stone, then we were whizzing along like a speed boat, salt spray in our faces and nothing but sea ahead.**

"Sounds like Percy's pretty happy," Thalia drawled.

"I would be too," Nico chuckled.

**I heard a wail of outrage from the ship behind us, but we were already out of weapon range. The _Princess Andromeda _faded to the size of a white toy boat in the distance, and then it was gone.**

"Damn..." Jason whistled. "That's bloody _fast_."

**As we raced over the sea, Annabeth and I tried to send an Iris-message to Chiron. We figured it was important we let somebody know what Luke was doing, and we didn't know who else to trust.**

Poseidon grimaced at that, and Athena didn't look to be much better.

**The wind from the thermos stirred up a nice sea spray that made a rainbow in the sunlight—perfect for an Iris-message—but our connection was still poor.**

"I don't think our side was the poor one," Annabeth remarked, shaking her head.

**When Annabeth threw a gold drachma into the mist and prayed for the rainbow goddess to show us Chiron, his face appeared all right, but there was some kind of weird strobe light flashing in the background and rock music blaring, like he was at a dance club.**

"If he's with who I think he's with, that's not really far off," Apollo sniggered.

"Party Ponies," Hermes cackled.

**We told him about sneaking away from camp,**

"I'm sure he took _that_ well," Dionysus scoffed.

**and Luke and the _Princess Andromeda _and the golden box for Kronos's remains, but between the noise on his end and the rushing wind and water on our end, I'm not sure how much he heard.**

"Oh, you'd be surprised," Apollo chuckled. "Chiron's a smart one."

**"Percy," Chiron yelled, "you have to watch out for—"**

**His voice was drowned out by loud shouting behind him—a bunch of voices whooping it up like Comanche warriors.**

A number of people sniggered at that.

**"What?" I yelled.**

**"Curse my relatives!"**

"Ah, don't do that," Apollo laughed, "the party ponies are a riot!"

"Quite literally," Artemis remarked dryly.

**Chiron ducked as a plate flew over his head and shattered somewhere out of sight.**

**"Annabeth, you shouldn't have let Percy leave camp!**

"'Let', he says," Annabeth scoffed. "As if I could've stopped him."

"Not like you wanted to anyways," Thalia pointed out, looking amused. Annabeth grinned and shook her head.

**But if you _do _get the Fleece—"**

**"Yeah, baby!" somebody behind Chiron yelled. "Woo-hoooooo!" The music got cranked up, subwoofers so loud it made our boat vibrate.**

"This really shouldn't be as funny as it is," Thalia snickered.

**"—Miami," Chiron was yelling. "I'll try to keep watch—"**

**Our misty screen smashed apart like someone on the other side had thrown a bottle at it,**

"Which, mind you, they probably did," Apollo snickered.

**and Chiron was gone.**

**An hour later we spotted land—a long stretch of beach lined with high-rise hotels. The water became crowded with fishing boats and tankers. A coast guard cruiser passed on our starboard side, then turned like it wanted a second look. I guess it isn't every day they see a yellow lifeboat with no engine going a hundred knots an hour, manned by three kids.**

"No, I don't reckon so," Poseidon chuckled.

**"That's Virginia Beach!" Annabeth said as we approached the shoreline. "Oh my gods, how did the _Princess Andromeda _travel so far overnight? That's like—"**

**"Five hundred and thirty nautical miles," I said.**

"Woah, trippy," Leo blinked.

"No, just Percy," Nico deadpanned.

**She stared at me. "How did you know that?"**

**"I—I'm not sure."**

"Also Percy," Thalia grinned.

**Annabeth thought for a moment. "Percy, what's our position?"**

**"36 degrees, 44 minutes north, 76 degrees, 2 minutes west," I said immediately. Then I shook my head. "Whoa. How did I know that?"**

Poseidon grinned.

**"Because of your dad," Annabeth guessed. "When you're at sea, you have perfect bearings. That is _so_ cool."**

"Alright, I'm jealous," Thalia declared. "I swear, Percy's got all of the cool powers."

"Hey," Jason protested, looking a little miffed, "I think flying is bloody awesome."

"Yes," Thalia said, grimacing faintly at the thought, "but flying and lightning versus perfect bearings, healing powers, breathing underwater, the soft-landing thing, tithes from sea creatures, speaking to horses, using water, creating water, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes. You still think we've got the better set?"

Jason grimaced. "Good point."

Poseidon chuckled at that.

**I wasn't sure about that. I didn't want to be a human GPS unit.**

Apollo choked on a laugh and Leo chortled.

**But before I could say anything, Tyson tapped my shoulder. "Other boat is coming."**

**I looked back. The coast guard vessel was definitely on our tail now. Its lights were flashing and it was gaining speed.**

"It's not going to catch up," Ares snorted.

**"We can't let them catch us," I said. "They'll ask too many questions."**

**"Keep going into Chesapeake Bay," Annabeth said. "I know a place we can hide."**

Thalia stiffened.

**I didn't ask what she meant, or how she knew the area so well. I risked loosening the thermos cap a little more, and a fresh burst of wind sent us rocketing around the northern tip of Virginia Beach into Chesapeake Bay. The coast guard boat fell farther and farther behind.**

"He must've been pretty damn confused," Leo snorted.

**We didn't slow down until the shores of the bay narrowed on either side, and I realized we'd entered the mouth of a river.**

"He's not going to enjoy this part," Poseidon said, shaking his head.

**I could feel the change from salt water to fresh water. Suddenly I was tired and frazzled, like I was coming down off a sugar high.**

"That must suck," Leo said.

"He certainly looked upset," Annabeth admitted.

**I didn't know where I was anymore, or which way to steer the boat. It was a good thing Annabeth was directing me.**

Annabeth smiled faintly.

**"There," she said. "Past that sandbar."**

**We veered into a swampy area choked with marsh grass. I beached the lifeboat at the foot of a giant cypress. Vine-covered trees loomed above us. Insects chirred in the woods. The air was muggy and hot, and steam curled off the river.**

"That's not possible," Artemis remarked with a frown. "The only time a river would steam is when the air is cold and the water is warm. But it says that the air was muggy and hot... That doesn't make much sense."

"Perhaps he meant vapour," Apollo offered.

Artemis frowned still. "Perhaps."

**Basically, it wasn't Manhattan, and I didn't like it.**

The room snorted.

"Typical New Yorker," Thalia chuckled.

**"Come on," Annabeth said. "It's just down the bank."**

**"What is?" I asked.**

**"Just follow."**

A number of people snickered at that.

**She grabbed a duffel bag. "And we'dbetter cover the boat. We don't want to draw attention."**

Athena nodded approvingly.

**After burying the lifeboat with branches, Tyson and I followed Annabeth along the shore, our feet sinking in red mud. A snake slithered past my shoe and disappeared into the grass.**

Piper shuddered; she hated snakes.

**"Not a good place," Tyson said. He swatted the mosquitoes that were forming a buffet line on his arm.**

Aphrodite wrinkled her nose in disgust.

**After another few minutes, Annabeth said, "Here."**

**All I saw was a patch of brambles. Then Annabeth moved aside a woven circle of branches, like a door, and I realized I was looking into a camouflaged shelter.**

Thalia shook her head and Annabeth looked away.

**The inside was big enough for three, even with Tyson being the third. The walls were woven from plant material, like a Native American hut, but they looked pretty water proof.**

"Luke always was good at that," Thalia said, her voice tinging on hoarse. "Jack of all trades."

**Stacked in the corner was everything you could want for a campout—sleeping bags, blankets, an ice chest, and a kerosene lamp. There were demigod provisions, too— bronze javelin tips, a quiver full of arrows, an extra sword, and a box of ambrosia. The place smelled musty, like it had been vacant for a long time.**

"It's the place where Grover found us," Annabeth said softly. "After he met up with us, it was pretty much a run-for-it situation."

"He's lucky we didn't kill him first," Thalia said, her tone dry. "I swear, Luke was an inch away from putting a sword through his stomach."

"But he didn't," Annabeth said.

"...no," Thalia admitted after a moments hesitation. "He didn't."

**"A half-blood hideout." I looked at Annabeth in awe. "You _made _this place?"**

**"Thalia and I," she said quietly. "And Luke."**

Hermes swallowed and looked away.

**That shouldn't have bothered me.**

Annabeth frowned, her head tilting to the side.

**I mean, I knew Thalia and Luke had taken care of Annabeth when she was little. I knew the three of them had been runaways together, hiding from monsters, surviving on their own before Grover found them and tried to get them to Half-Blood Hill. But whenever Annabeth talked about the time she'd spent with them, I kind of felt... I don't know. Uncomfortable?**

Annabeth leant forward slightly, curious as to what he was going to say.

**No. That's not the word.**

**The word was _jealous._**

The sound Aphrodite let out when Hestia read that line was not only inhuman, but also unholy. Even the gods had to grimace at the pitch she managed to reach.

Annabeth's face had gone a bright red, and she tugged on the ends of Percy's sweater uncomfortably. In truth, she was more than a little pleased at hearing of this; but she was also uneasy with the amount of people now staring at her.

**"So ..." I said. "You don't think Luke will look for us here?"**

**She shook her head. "We made a dozen safe houses like this. I doubt Luke even remembers where they are. Or cares."**

"Bitterness will not bring back what you have lost," Athena told her daughter gently. "Twill only make it harder to let go."

**She threw herself down on the blankets and started going through her duffel bag. Her body language made it pretty clear she didn't want to talk.**

"But let me guess..." Thalia drawled.

**"Um, Tyson?" I said. "Would you mind scouting around outside? Like, look for a wilderness convenience store or something?"**

"Really?" Nico looked amused. "The best he could come up with was a wilderness convenience store?"

**"Convenience store?"**

**"Yeah, for snacks. Powdered doughnuts**

Annabeth sighed.

**or something. Just don't go too far."**

**"Powdered doughnuts," Tyson said earnestly. "I will look for powdered donuts in the wilderness." He headed outside and started calling, "Here, donuts!"**

The room chuckled.

**Once he was gone, I sat down across from Annabeth. "Hey, I'm sorry about, you know, seeing Luke."**

**"It's not your fault." She unsheathed her knife and started cleaning the blade with a rag.**

"Probably shouldn't be talking to her with a knife in her hands," Apollo remarked with a wry grin. "Might not end well."

**"He let us go too easily," I said.**

**I hoped I'd been imagining it, but Annabeth nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. What we overheard him say about a gamble, and 'they'll take the bait'... I think he was talking about us."**

"Joy to the world," Nico muttered.

Of course, that was about the time that Leo decided to start humming said tune under his breath as he fiddled about with whatever-it-was in his hands.

**"The Fleece is the bait? Or Grover?"**

"Most likely the Fleece," Athena said slowly, "Grover is, quite possibly, just a side-effect."

**She studied the edge of her knife. "I don't know, Percy. Maybe he wants the Fleece for himself. Maybe he's hoping we'll do the hard work and then he can steal it from us. I just can't believe he would poison the tree."**

"Note: Annabeth didn't actually say anything in reference to Grover," Nico commented dryly.

**"What did he mean," I asked, "that Thalia would've been on his side?"**

**"He's wrong."**

"Damn straight..." Thalia muttered.

**"You don't sound sure."**

**Annabeth glared at me, and I started to wish I hadn't asked her about this while she was holding a knife.**

"Well, in all fairness," Thalia said, "it's not like the sea brain actually _knows_ me. Just hearing about a person doesn't qualify as _knowing_. And, while I appreciate your loyalty Annabeth, I can see where he's coming from. After all, we'd never have suspected Luke unless we saw it with our own eyes."

"All fair points," Annabeth nodded with a sigh.

**"Percy, you know who you remind me of most? _Thalia. _You guys are so much alike it's scary. I mean, either you would've been best friends or you would've strangled each other."**

"So... they're family," Apollo summed up with a faint grin. "I think that's an adequate description or siblings, don't you? They're the best friend you sometimes want to beat with a shovel and leave in a ditch somewhere."

"Love you too, Twin," Artemis remarked dryly; Apollo responded with blowing her a kiss.

**"Let's go with 'best friends.'"**

**"Thalia got angry with her dad sometimes. So do you. Would _you _turn against Olympus because of that?"**

"I suppose that depends on the amount of anger, doesn't it?" Jason asked dryly.

**I stared at the quiver of arrows in the corner. "No."**

Poseidon's head tilted.

**"Okay, then. Neither would she. Luke's wrong."**

"And yet," Thalia muttered, "we all thought the same of Luke."

"Luke was always angry, Thals," Annabeth reminded her gently. "We just... didn't know how angry."

**Annabeth stuck her knife blade into the dirt.**

**I wanted to ask her about the prophecy Luke had mentioned and what it had to do with my sixteenth birthday. But I figured she wouldn't tell me. Chiron had made it pretty clear that I wasn't allowed to hear it until the gods decided otherwise.**

"Which means that she should not have heard it either," Zeus rumbled, glancing at Annabeth pointedly.

**"So what did Luke mean about Cyclopes?" I asked. "He said you of all people—"**

**"I know what he said. He ... he was talking about the _real _reason Thalia died."**

Thalia winced and Zeus' expression darkened considerably.

**I waited, not sure what to say.**

**Annabeth drew a shaky breath. "You can never trust a Cyclops, Percy. Six years ago, on the night Grover was leading us to Half-Blood Hill—"**

**She was interrupted**

Apollo huffed dramatically, earning an eye-roll from his twin.

**when the door of the hut creaked open. Tyson crawled in.**

**"Powdered donuts!" he said proudly, holding up a pastry box.**

"Stop," Leo said, "rewind. _What?_"

**Annabeth stared at him. "Where did you get that? We're in the middle of the wilderness. There's nothing around for—"**

**"Fifty feet," Tyson said. "Monster Doughnut shop—just over the hill!"**

The demigods groaned.

**"This is bad," Annabeth muttered.**

**We were crouching behind a tree, staring at the doughnut shop in the middle of the woods.**

"Weird places you've managed to find yourself in, number seven." Thalia snorted.

"Are you actually counting?" Nico asked her, cocking a brow.

"I like the number seven, sue me."

**It looked brand new, with brightly lit windows, a parking area, and a little road leading off into the forest, but there was nothing else around, and no cars parked in the lot. We could see one employee reading a magazine behind the cash register. That was it. On the store's marquis, in huge black letters that even I could read,**

A number of people snorted.

**it said: MONSTER DOUGHNUT. A cartoon ogre was taking a bite out of the _O_ in _MONSTER. _The place smelled good, like fresh-baked chocolate donuts.**

"Dude, stop it," Leo groaned.

**"This shouldn't be here," Annabeth whispered. "It's wrong."**

Athena nodded grimly.

**"What?" I asked. "It's a doughnut shop."**

**"Shhh!"**

**"Why are we whispering? Tyson went in and bought a dozen. Nothing happened to him."**

"Chiron really shouldn't've let him go without watching that orientation film," Apollo snorted. "It's gonna get him killed at this rate."

**_"He's _a monster."**

**"Aw, c'mon, Annabeth. Monster Doughnut doesn't mean monsters!**

Most everyone scoffed at that.

**It's a chain. We've got them in New York."**

"You also have Olympus in New York, what's your point?" Hermes snorted, cocking a brow.

**"A chain," she agreed. "And don't you think it's strange that one appeared immediately after you told Tyson to get doughnuts? Right here in the middle of the woods?"**

"Yeah, kind of. But, c'mon, could he really have made an entire bloody factory in under ten minutes?" Leo asked.

**I thought about it. It did seem a little weird, but, I mean, doughnut shops weren't real high on my list of sinister forces.**

"Fear me and my dreaded_ Chocolate Glazed_!" Leo said dramatically.

"Oh no," Jason said, his voice comically static. "Not the Chocolate Glazed!"

"Yes!" Leo declared. "The _dastardly evil_ Chocolate Glazed!"

"I always thought the jelly-filled were scarier," Piper remarked. "I mean, you step on one and _splat!_ instant blood stain."

"This, Pipes," Leo grinned, "this is why we're friends!"

**"It could be a nest," Annabeth explained.**

**Tyson whimpered. I doubt he understood what Annabeth was saying any better than I did, but her tone was making him nervous. He'd plowed through half a dozen donuts from his box and was getting powdered sugar all over his face.**

"Su~ure," Apollo sniggered. "'Sugar'."

Artemis smacked him for that reference.

**"A nest for what?" I asked.**

**"Haven't you ever wondered how franchise stores pop up so fast?" she asked. "One day there's nothing and then the next day—_boom, _there's a new burger place or a coffee shop**

"Hm," Thalia hummed. "I could really go for coffee right now."

**or whatever? First a single store, then two, then four— exact replicas spreading across the country?"**

**"Um, no. Never thought about it."**

"Most don't tend to focus on the sinister plots of capitalism," Nico said dryly, "they kind of just accept it."

"Not that it's a necessarily good thing either," Piper pointed out.

"True," Nico conceded. "But still."

**"Percy, some of the chains multiply so fast because all their locations are magically linked to the life force of a monster. Some children of Hermes figured out how to do it back in the 1950s.**

Hermes chuckled.

**They breed—"**

**She froze.**

Athena sighed.

**"What?" I demanded. "They breed what?"**

**"No—sudden—moves," Annabeth said, like her life depended on it.**

"Which it did."

**"Very slowly, turn around."**

**Then I heard it: a scraping noise, like something large dragging its belly through the leaves.**

Poseidon exhaled forcefully and pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

**I turned and saw a rhino-size _thing _moving through the shadows of the trees. It was hissing, its front half writhing in all different directions. I couldn't understand what I was seeing at first. Then I realized the thing had multiple necks—at least seven,**

"Hydra," Athena scoffed. "How lovely."

**each topped with a hissing reptilian head. Its skin was leathery, and under each neck it wore a plastic bib that read: I'm A MONSTER DOUGHNUT KID!**

Leo choked on his laugh.

**I took out my ballpoint pen, but Annabeth locked eyes with me—a silent warning. _Not yet. _I understood. A lot of monsters have terrible eyesight. It was possible the Hydra might pass us by.**

"Don't jinx it," Jason snorted.

**But if I uncapped my sword now, the bronze glow would certainly get its attention.**

"Catch-22," Leo commented, "can't uncap the sword for fear of getting notice, but if you're notice without the sword you might be screwed."

**We waited.**

**The Hydra was only a few feet away. It seemed to be sniffing the ground and the trees like it was hunting for something. Then I noticed that two of the heads were ripping apart a piece of yellow canvas—one of our duffel bags.**

Hermes sighed.

**The thing had already been to our campsite. It was following our scent.**

"Well, now you're just screwed," Ares snorted.

**My heart pounded. I'd seen a stuffed Hydra-head trophy at camp before, but that did nothing to prepare me for the real thing.**

"Does it ever?" Annabeth sighed.

**Each head was diamond-shaped, like a rattlesnake's, but the mouths were lined with jagged rows of shark-like teeth.**

"Sketchy," Leo muttered.

**Tyson was trembling. He stepped back and accidentally snapped a twig.**

"And here we go."

**Immediately, all seven heads turned toward us and hissed.**

"To quote a rather depressed robot: 'I've calculated your chances of survival, but I don't think you'll like it.'"

"Leo!"

"What? She's sitting right there, isn't she?"

**"Scatter!" Annabeth yelled. She dove to the right.**

**I rolled to the left. One of the Hydra heads spat an arc of green liquid that shot past my shoulder and splashed against an elm. The trunk smoked and began to disintegrate.**

"Talk about having an acidic tongue," Nico muttered.

**The whole tree toppled straight toward Tyson, who still hadn't moved, petrified by the monster that was now right in front of him.**

Poseidon frowned.

**"Tyson!" I tackled him with all my might,**

"Must've felt like running into a wall," Piper remarked, wincing sympathetically.

**knocking him aside just as the Hydra lunged and the tree crashed on top of two of its heads.**

"At least it worked," Jason said.

**The Hydra stumbled backward, yanking its heads free then wailing in outrage at the fallen tree. All seven heads shot acid, and the elm melted into a steaming pool of muck.**

"Poor elm," Piper remarked.

**"Move!" I told Tyson. I ran to one side and uncapped Riptide, hoping to draw the monster's attention.**

**It worked.**

"Well, you did just pull out a giant shiny stick. I think most would be rather drawn to that," Leo snorted.

**The sight of celestial bronze is hateful to most monsters. As soon as my glowing blade appeared, the Hydra whipped toward it with all its heads, hissing and baring its teeth.**

**The good news: Tyson was momentarily out of danger. The bad news: I was about to be melted into a puddle of goo.**

"Priorities, Seaweed Brain," Thalia snorted.

**One of the heads snapped at me experimentally. Without thinking, I swung my sword.**

A cacophony of groans rose up from the room.

**"No!" Annabeth yelled.**

**Too late. I sliced the Hydra's head clean off.**

Annabeth sighed.

**It rolled away into the grass, leaving a flailing stump, which immediately stopped bleeding and began to swell like a balloon. In a matter of seconds the wounded neck split into two necks, each of which grew a full-size head. Now I was looking at an eight-headed Hydra.**

"Not good."

"A touch of an understatement."

**"Percy!" Annabeth scolded. "You just opened another Monster Doughnut shop somewhere!"**

**I dodged a spray of acid. "I'm about to die and you're worried about _that_?**

"Yes," Annabeth said dryly.

**How do we kill it?"**

**"Fire!" Annabeth said. "We have to have fire!"**

"Said the daughter of Athena to the son of Poseidon," Nico drawled. "Fire would be in a short supply."

**As soon as she said that, I remembered the story. The Hydra's heads would only stop multiplying if we burned the stumps before they regrew. That's what Heracles had done, anyway. But we had no fire.**

**I backed up toward river.**

"My point, in the flesh."

**The Hydra followed.**

**Annabeth moved in on my left and tried to distract one of the heads, parrying its teeth with her knife, but another head swung sideways like a club and knocked her into the muck.**

Athena stilled, and a number of people winced in sympathy. Annabeth just grimaced and rubbed her temple gently.

**"No hitting my friends!" Tyson charged in,**

"Go Tyson!" Leo cheered.

**putting himself between the Hydra and Annabeth. As Annabeth got to her feet, Tyson started smashing at the monster heads with his fists so fast it reminded me of the whack-a-mole game at the arcade.**

A few people chuckled at the mental image.

**But even Tyson couldn't fend off the Hydra forever.**

**We kept inching backward, dodging acid splashes and deflecting snapping heads without cutting them off, but I knew we were only postponing our deaths. Eventually, we would make a mistake and the thing would kill us.**

"Marvin the Robot, in the flesh," Leo snorted.

**Then I heard a strange sound—a chug-chug-chug that at first I thought was my heartbeat. It was so powerful it made the riverbank shake.**

"Friend or foe, I wonder," Apollo hummed.

"Confederate, I think," Hermes told him.

"Touché."

**"What's that noise?" Annabeth shouted, keeping her eyes on the Hydra.**

**"Steam engine," Tyson said.**

**"_What?"_**

"Can I second that?" Nico snorted.

**I ducked as the Hydra spat acid over my head.**

**Then from the river behind us, a familiar female voice shouted: "There! Prepare the thirty-two-pounder!"**

**I didn't dare look away from the Hydra, but if that was who I thought it was behind us, I figured we now had enemies on two fronts.**

Poseidon's brows raised even as his frown deepened.

**A gravelly male voice said, "They're too close, m'lady!"**

**"Damn the heroes!"**

Athena's eyes narrowed.

**the girl said. "Full steam ahead!"**

**"Aye, m'lady."**

**"Fire at will, Captain!"**

**Annabeth understood what was happening a split second before I did.**

"As per usual," Thalia chuckled, nudging Annabeth.

**She yelled, "Hit the dirt!" and we dove for the ground as an earth-shattering _BOOM _echoed from the river. There was a flash of light, a column of smoke, and the Hydra exploded right in front of us, showering us with nasty green slime that vaporized as soon as it hit, the way monster guts tend to do.**

"Uck," Aphrodite's nose wrinkled.

**"Gross!" screamed Annabeth.**

**"Steamship!" yelled Tyson.**

**I stood, coughing from the cloud of gunpowder smoke that was rolling across the banks.**

Poseidon grimaced.

**Chugging toward us down the river was the strangest ship I'd ever seen. It rode low in the water like a submarine, its deck plated with iron. In the middle was a trapezoid-shaped casemate with slats on each side for cannons. A flag waved from the top—a wild boar and spear on a blood red field.**

Ares cackled, a malicious grin on his face.

**Lining the deck were zombies in grey uniforms— dead soldiers with shimmering faces that only partially covered their skulls, like the ghouls I'd seen in the Underworld guarding Hades's palace.**

Hades rolled his eyes.

**The ship was an ironclad. A Civil War battle cruiser. I could just make out the name along the prow in moss-covered letters: CSS _Birmingham._**

**And standing next to the smoking cannon that had almost killed us, wearing full Greek battle armour, was Clarisse.**

"Well, this isn't going to end well," Leo snorted.

**"Losers," she sneered. "But I suppose I have to rescue you. Come aboard."**

"Or maybe it will," Piper remarked.

"I'll read, Lady Hestia," Jason offered, taking the book from her. "Chapter eleven: Clarisse Blows Up Everything."

* * *

And here we are. A few references in this one, glad we're getting back to the cheery aspect of things!

I'll post on Sunday (promise!)

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	39. Chapter 39

**Clarisse Blows Up Everything**

"Cheery," Leo snickered. "But somehow, I don't think this is going to be a happy chapter."

**"You are in _so _much trouble," Clarisse said.**

"And this is different from normal _how_?" Apollo grinned.

**We'd just finished a ship tour we didn't want, through dark rooms overcrowded with dead sailors.**

Nico looked as bored as his father at this point.

**We'd seen the coal bunker, the boilers and engine, which huffed and groaned like it would explode any minute.**

Leo frowned, no doubt planning numerous ways in which to improve the engine.

**We'd seen the pilothouse and the powder magazine and gunnery deck (Clarisse's favourite)**

Ares smirked.

**with two Dahlgren smoothbore cannons on the port and starboard sides and a Brooke nine-inch rifled gun fore and aft—all specially refitted to fire celestial bronze cannon balls.**

"Well then..." Piper muttered.

**Everywhere we went, dead Confederate sailors stared at us, their ghostly bearded faces shimmering over their skulls.**

"Alright... that's kind of creepy," Leo said, shifting uneasily.

"There is nothing creepy about the dead," Nico frowned, "they're just not alive."

"Which is creepy."

Nico rolled his eyes.

**They approved of Annabeth because she told them she was from Virginia. They were interested in me, too, because my name was Jackson**

Ares scoffed, crossing his arms.

—**like the Southern general—but then I ruined it by telling them I was from New York.**

Thalia snorted.

**They all hissed and muttered curses about Yankees.**

Jason's brows raised and he chuckled faintly.

**Tyson was terrified of them.**

Nico muttered something rebellious under his breath.

**All through the tour, he insisted Annabeth hold his hand, which she didn't look too thrilled about.**

Annabeth grimaced.

**Finally, we were escorted to dinner. The CSS _Birmingham_ captain's quarters were about the size of a walk-in closet, but still much bigger than any other room on board.**

Leo made a face, he hated feeling confined. It's part of the reason why the _Argo II_ was so big.

**The table was set with white linen and china. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, potato chips, and Dr. Peppers were served by skeletal crewmen. I didn't want to eat anything served by ghosts, but my hunger overruled my fear.**

Artemis rolled her eyes and muttered something about boys.

**"Tantalus expelled you for eternity," Clarisse told us smugly.**

Athena looked unimpressed.

**"Mr. D said if any of you show your face at camp again, he'll turn you into squirrels and run you over with his SUV."**

Poseidon rolled his eyes skyward as Dionysus smirked.

**"Did _they _give you this ship?" I asked.**

Ares scoffed.

**"'Course not. My father did."**

_**"Ares?"**_

**Clarisse sneered. "You think your daddy is the only one with sea power?**

Poseidon bristled somewhat at that. Of _course_, he was the only one with true sea power. Ares could only control those who've lost a battle, not the _sea_.

**The spirits on the losing side of every war owe a tribute to Ares. That's their curse for being defeated.**

"Sucks..." Leo winced sympathetically.

"Wait, does that mean being killed individually or just being on the losing side?" Jason frowned.

Ares shrugged carelessly. "Depends, brat. If they were just killed in action, then no. But if they were facing a personal adversary, well..."

**I prayed to my father for a naval transport and here it is. These guys will do anything I tell them. Won't you, Captain?"**

**The captain stood behind her looking stiff and angry. His glowing green eyes fixed me with a hungry stare. "If it means an end to this infernal war, ma'am, peace at last, we'll do anything. Destroy anyone."**

"Poor souls," Aphrodite cooed.

"Babe," Ares protested with a snort.

"What? Can I not feel empathy for the poor lost soldiers?"

"Empathy, sure, _that's_ what you're feeling."

"You're so crass," Aphrodite pouted.

**Clarisse smiled. "Destroy anyone. I like that."**

The demigods rolled their eyes.

**Tyson gulped.**

**"Clarisse," Annabeth said, "Luke might be after the Fleece, too. We saw him. He's got the coordinates and he's heading south. He has a cruise ship full of monsters—"**

**"Good! I'll blow him out of the water."**

"Such arrogance will be her downfall," Athena warned. "Tis unwise."

**"You don't understand," Annabeth said. "We have to combine forces. Let us help you—"**

**"No!" Clarisse pounded the table. "This is _my _quest, smart girl! Finally _I _get to be the hero, and you two will _not _steal my chance."**

"They're not trying to steal her chance," Piper protested. "They're just trying to do what's best for the camp!"

"She's the daughter of the god of War, dove," Aphrodite reminded. "She's not going to see it that way."

**"Where are your cabin mates?" I asked. "You were allowed to take two friends with you, weren't you?"**

**"They didn't ... I let them stay behind. To protect the camp."**

A number of people looked sympathetic at this point, Ares just shrugged.

**"You mean even the people in your own cabin wouldn't help you?"**

Thalia winced. "Not cool, seaweed brain. Not cool."

**"Shut up, Prissy! I don't need them! Or you!"**

**"Clarisse," I said, "Tantalus is using you. He doesn't care about the camp. He'd love to see it destroyed. He's setting you up to fail."**

"Truer words have never been spoken," Hermes remarked dryly.

**"No! I don't care what the Oracle—"**

Apollo's head jerked somewhat.

**She stopped herself.**

**"What?" I said. "What did the Oracle tell you?"**

**"Nothing."**

Athena frowned.

**Clarisse's ears turned pink. "All you need to know is that I'm finishing this quest and you're _not _helping. On the other hand, I can't let you go..."**

"Well, free ride," Leo commented.

"There's always that," Piper sighed.

**"So we're prisoners?" Annabeth asked.**

**"Guests. For now."**

"Lovely," Nico muttered.

**Clarisse propped her feet up on the white linen tablecloth and opened another Dr Pepper. "Captain, take them below. Assign them hammocks on the berth deck. If they don't mind their manners, show them how we deal with enemy spies."**

Poseidon stiffened, his eyes darkening.

**The dream came as soon as I fell asleep.**

The demigods groaned and the gods looked like they agreed.

**Grover was sitting at his loom, desperately unravelling his wedding train, when the boulder door rolled aside and the Cyclops bellowed, "Aha!"**

"Not good," Jason shook his head, running a hand through his hair.

**Grover yelped. "Dear! I didn't—you were so quiet!"**

**"Unravelling!" Polyphemus roared. "So that's the problem!"**

**"Oh, no. I—I wasn't—"**

"Think fast, Grover," Thalia muttered.

**"Come!" Polyphemus grabbed Grover around the waist and half carried, half dragged him through the tunnels of the cave. Grover struggled to keep his high heels on his hooves. His veil kept tilting on his head, threatening to come off.**

"If he doesn't end up dead from this, it's going to be one hell of a close call," Apollo whistled.

**The Cyclops pulled him into a warehouse-size cavern decorated with sheep junk. There was a wool-covered La-Z-Boy recliner and a wool-covered television set, crude bookshelves loaded with sheep collectibles—coffee mugs shaped like sheep faces, plaster figurines of sheep, sheep board games, and picture books and action figures.**

"Dude, does this guy even sheep?" Leo sniggered.

Piper groaned in protest. "Leo, that was horrible!"

**The floor was littered with piles of sheep bones, and other bones that didn't look exactly like sheep—the bones of satyrs who'd come to the island looking for Pan.**

Dionysus scowled.

**Polyphemus set Grover down only long enough to move another huge boulder. Daylight streamed into the cave, and Grover whimpered with longing. Fresh air!**

"The boy is incredibly connected to the satyr," Artemis remarked with a frown. "It's dangerous."

"That's a word for it," Poseidon said dryly.

**The Cyclops dragged him outside to a hilltop overlooking the most beautiful island I'd ever seen.**

Annabeth smiled faintly.

**It was shaped kind of like a saddle cut in half by an axe. There were lush green hills on either side and a wide valley in the middle, split by a deep chasm that was spanned by a rope bridge.**

"Sounds rather Indiana Jones," Leo commented.

**Beautiful streams rolled to the edge of the canyon and dropped off in rainbow-coloured waterfalls. Parrots fluttered in the trees. Pink and purple flowers bloomed on the bushes. Hundreds of sheep grazed in the meadows, their wool glinting strangely like copper and silver coins.**

"A little strange," Thalia remarked.

**And at the centre of the island, right next to the rope bridge, was an enormous twisted oak tree with something glittering in its lowest bough.**

**The Golden Fleece.**

The gods exchanged looks at that. Zeus, in particular, looked intrigued; his eyes kept flickering back to Thalia.

**Even in a dream, I could feel its power radiating across the island, making the grass greener, the flowers more beautiful. I could almost smell the nature magic at work. I could only imagine how powerful the scent would be for a satyr.**

"Indeed," Dionysus murmured.

**Grover whimpered.**

**"Yes," Polyphemus said proudly. "See over there? Fleece is the prize of my collection! Stole it from heroes long ago, and ever since—free food! Satyrs come from all over the world, like moths to flame. Satyrs good eating! And now—"**

**Polyphemus scooped up a wicked set of bronze shears.**

Thalia sat bolt upright at that, worried for her friend.

**Grover yelped, but Polyphemus just picked up the nearest sheep like it was a stuffed animal and shaved off its wool. He handed a fluffy mass of it to Grover.**

"...okay, pause and rewind," Leo said, "the flip just happened?"

"You heard," Jason grinned. "Come on, Leo, keep up."

Leo grinned back at him, shaking his head.

**"Put that on the spinning wheel!" he said proudly. "Magic. Cannot be unravelled."**

Annabeth gnawed on her lower lip worriedly, though she knew about this from before... it sounded so much worse this way.

**"Oh ... well ..."**

**"Poor Honeypie!" Polyphemus grinned. "Bad weaver. Ha-ha! Not to worry. That thread will solve problem. Finish wedding train by tomorrow!"**

"Lucky they ran into Clarisse, then," Leo said. "They should be there by tomorrow, yeah?"

"Yeah, all luck," Apollo remarked, a wicked glint in his eyes as he looked at Hermes.

Hermes just grinned and winked.

**"Isn't that ... thoughtful of you!"**

**"Hehe."**

**"But—but, dear," Grover gulped, "what if someone were to rescue—I mean attack**

Thalia shook her head. "He better watch it," she said, "he'll get caught doing that."

**this island?" Grover looked straight at me, and I knew he was asking for my benefit.**

Athena nodded approvingly.

**"What would keep them from marching right up here to your cave?"**

**"Wifey scared! So cute! Not to worry. Polyphemus has state-of-the-art security system. Have to get through my pets."**

**"Pets?"**

**Grover looked across the island, but there was nothing to see except sheep grazing peacefully in the meadows.**

"Killer sheep?" Suddenly, Leo cackled. "Talk about Silence of the Lambs."

"Leo, that doesn't make any sense," Piper snorted.

"Don't care!"

**"And then," Polyphemus growled, "they would have to get through me!" He pounded his fist against the nearest rock, which cracked and split in half. "Now, come!" he shouted. "Back to the cave."**

Artemis grimaced in sympathy for the young satyr.

**Grover looked about ready to cry—so close to freedom, but so hopelessly far. Tears welled in his eyes as the boulder door rolled shut, sealing him once again in the stinky torch-lit dankness of the Cyclops's cave.**

"Poor kid," Apollo grimaced. "Pun, for once, not intended."

**I woke to alarm bells ringing throughout the ship.**

"Always a fun way to wake up," Nico drawled, sounding eerily like his father.

**The captain's gravelly voice: "All hands on deck! Find Lady Clarisse! Where is that girl?"**

"Odd combination of both polite and dismissive," Thalia snorted.

**Then his ghostly face appeared above me. "Get up, Yankee. Your friends are already above. We are approaching the entrance."**

The mood quickly grew wary.

**"The entrance to what?"**

**He gave me a skeletal smile. "The Sea of Monsters, of course."**

And then it became grim.

**I stuffed my few belongings that had survived the Hydra into a sailor's canvas knapsack and slung it over my shoulder. I had a sneaking suspicion that one way or another I would not be spending another night aboard the CSS _Birmingham._**

"Not good," Apollo remarked dryly.

"A touch of an understatement, that," Hermes snorted.

**I was on my way upstairs when something made me freeze. A presence nearby—something familiar and unpleasant.**

Poseidon tensed, fearing the worst.

**For no particular reason, I felt like picking a fight. I wanted to punch a dead Confederate.**

"Can I get that on a t-shirt?" Thalia asked sarcastically.

**The last time I'd felt like that kind of anger…**

"Look, lover, there you are," Aphrodite commented.

"Apparently," Ares snorted.

**Instead of going up, I crept to the edge of the ventilation grate and peered down into the boiler deck.**

"Snoop," Leo snickered.

**Clarisse was standing right below me, talking to an image that shimmered in the steam from the boilers—a muscular man in black leather biker clothes, with a military haircut, red-tinted sunglasses, and a knife strapped to his side.**

Aphrodite smiled lasciviously, leaning heavily against Ares.

**My fists clenched. It was my least favourite Olympian: Ares, the god of war.**

"Feeling's mutual, punk," he scoffed.

**"I don't want excuses, little girl!" he growled.**

Artemis' eyes narrowed in suspicion and Hera sat up with a deep frown etched into her face.

"**Yes, father," Clarisse mumbled.**

**"You don't want to see me mad, do you?"**

"I don't like that..." Thalia muttered, looking irate.

**"No, father."**

**_"No, father," _Ares mimicked. "You're pathetic. I should've let one of my _sons _take this quest."**

Annabeth scowled,; Athena's glare turned icy; Artemis made a hissing sound; Hera shot Ares a scathing look; Demeter sniffed derisively; Hestia frowned darkly; and Piper stiffened dangerously. A fair number of the males in the room looked just as annoyed at that.

Aphrodite, upon seeing the number of hostile glares being thrown towards her boyfriend, looked up at him. "Lover, you're lucky you're fantastic at sex," she said bluntly. "Because that is just nonsense."

"For once, we agree on something," Athena said, her tone still frosty.

"You better stay incredibly quiet for the next while, Ares," Artemis' voice was soft, but held so much malice it was enough to send chills down the demigods' spines.

**"I'll succeed!" Clarisse promised, her voice trembling. "I'll make you proud."**

"Oh, little darling," Hera murmured.

**"You'd better," he warned. "You asked me for this quest, girl. If you let that slime ball Jackson kid steal it from you—"**

Poseidon couldn't find it within himself to become irritated on Percy's behalf. Not when he felt so horribly for the girl. He couldn't ever imagine treating a daughter of his like that.

**"But the Oracle said—"**

**"I DON'T CARE WHAT IT SAID!"**

"Woah, someone's got a temper," Apollo snorted. "Does kiddo need a time-out?"

"Fuck off," Ares snapped.

**Ares bellowed with such force that his image shimmered. "You _will _succeed. And if you don't ..."**

**He raised his fist. Even though he was only a figure in the steam, Clarisse flinched.**

The noise Artemis made was not, in _any_ way, human. It was pitched so high with so much _venom_ behind it that the demigods couldn't help but flinch. She stood slowly, the ferocious expression on her face made it _very_ clear who her father was.

"If you were wise, Ares," Athena's voice was hard, "you'd run."

"I do not run," Ares boomed, standing at his full height. "Do not presume to lecture _me_, Artemis!"

"You've threatened a maiden," she hissed insidiously.

"Please," he scoffed, "I'm not the type of father to come running to when a brat scratches his knee. And if it were one of my boys, you wouldn't be putting up so much of a fuss."

"No one should harm a child," Poseidon corrected, his eyes were turbulent. "Male or female. It's the failing of society that we should place a female's pain above a male's in an abusive situation."

Ares rolled his eyes. "As I said, I'm not the type of father to come running to."

"I do not care," Artemis snapped at him venomously. "You're ability to deal with the fact that you're their father is _your_ problem. At the end of the day, you're still their _father_, biologically if nothing else. In the world these demigods live, the approval of their parents is what they seek. And you're _hurting her_. Do you think the only type of abuse is physical? If I _ever_ hear of you treating a child -female or no- in such a manner, I will_ rip you apart_."

"And don't think she'll be alone in that," Apollo said, his normally bright eyes now held a dangerous promise within.

Ares sneered at them as Artemis took her seat. Apollo looked over at his sister, seeing the way she shook ever so slightly from adrenaline made him casually drape his arm along the back of the couch, his fingertips barely brushing her shoulder in a way that would give comfort but was not so obvious that it would make her self-conscious.

**"Do we understand each other?" Ares growled.**

**The alarm bells rang again. I heard voices coming toward me, officers yelling orders to ready the cannons. I crept back from the ventilation grate and made my way upstairs to join Annabeth and Tyson on the spar deck.**

**"What's wrong?" Annabeth asked me. "Another dream?"**

Annabeth's face looked ashen, she wished she had known, in order to help Clarisse. But she couldn't help but feel that even if she had known, she wouldn't've known how to help.

**I nodded, but I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to think about what I'd seen downstairs. It bothered me almost as much as the dream about Grover.**

Hestia smiled sadly.

**Clarisse came up the stairs right after me. I tried not to look at her. She grabbed a pair of binoculars from a zombie officer and peered toward the horizon. "At last. Captain, full steam ahead!"**

"Oh right, forgot about the monster's bit," Leo muttered.

"I think everyone did," Nico replied.

**I looked in the same direction as she was, but I couldn't see much. The sky was overcast. The air was hazy and humid, like steam from an iron. If I squinted real hard, I could just make out a couple of dark fuzzy splotches in the distance.**

"Ooh, dark and fuzzy splotches. That's so specific I think I'm in awe," Nico drawled.

"Styx, Hades," Demeter scoffed, "the boy sounds just like you. Dreadful."

Nico flushed and Hades' eyes rolled skyward.

**My nautical senses told me we were somewhere off the coast of northern Florida, so we'd come a long way overnight, farther than any mortal ship should've been able to travel.**

"Obviously," Dionysus muttered.

**The engine groaned as we increased speed.**

**Tyson muttered nervously, "Too much strain on the pistons. Not meant for deep water."**

Leo looked intrigued, his knee bouncing as it often did when he was deep in thought.

**I wasn't sure how he knew that, but it made me nervous.**

"As it should," Hephaestus rumbled.

**After a few more minutes, the dark splotches ahead of us came into focus. To the north, a huge mass of rock rose out of the sea—an island with cliffs at least a hundred feet tall.**

"Time to choose: evil or evil?" Apollo sniggered.

"Can I choose neither?" Piper asked weakly.

"Nope."

"I was afraid of that."

**About half a mile south of that, the other patch of darkness was a storm brewing. The sky and sea boiled together in a roaring mass.**

Zeus and Poseidon exchanged a look.

**"Hurricane?" Annabeth asked.**

**"No," Clarisse said. "Charybdis."**

**Annabeth paled. "Are you crazy?"**

"Possibly."

"Not _you_, twin."

"You sure?"

"_Yes_."

**"Only way into the Sea of Monsters. Straight between Charybdis and her sister Scylla." Clarisse pointed to the top of the cliffs, and I got the feeling something lived up there that I did not want to meet.**

"Does anything you want to meet ever live up on a giant, foreboding mountain?" Leo chortled.

"Hey!" Apollo pouted. "I'm hurt."

"I did specify with 'foreboding', didn't I?"

"Good point."

**"What do you mean the only way?" I asked. "The sea is wide open! Just sail around them."**

"_Really_ need to do something about that," Thalia murmured. "The whole I-never-remember-the-myths thing."

**Clarisse rolled her eyes. "Don't you know anything? If I tried to sail around them, they would just appear in my path again. If you want to get into the Sea of Monsters, you _have _to sail through them."**

"Well... shit."

"An adequate summary of the situation, Leo, I'm impressed," Nico drawled.

"Shut up, mini-Hades."

Nico snorted in reply.

**"What about the Clashing Rocks?" Annabeth said. "That's another gateway. Jason used it."**

The namesake of said hero jerked slightly when his name was used.

**"I can't blow apart rocks with my cannons," Clarisse said. "Monsters, on the other hand…"**

**"You _are _crazy," Annabeth decided.**

"It runs in the family," Hermes remarked dryly.

**"Watch and learn, Wise Girl."**

"Does anyone else sense an oxymoron in the statement? No? Just me? Forget I said anything."

**Clarisse turned to the captain. "Set course for Charybdis!"**

**"Aye, m'lady."**

**The engine groaned, the iron plating rattled, and the ship began to pick up speed.**

**"Clarisse," I said, "Charybdis sucks up the sea.**

Poseidon sighed.

**Isn't that the story?"**

**"And spits it back out again, yeah."**

**"What about Scylla?"**

**"She lives in a cave, up on those cliffs. If we get too close, her snaky heads will come down and start plucking sailors off the ship."**

"Cheery," Piper murmured.

**"Choose Scylla then," I said. "Everybody goes below deck and we chug right past."**

**"No!" Clarisse insisted. "If Scylla doesn't get her easy meat, she might pick up the whole ship.**

"Yes, but 'might' versus 'certain death' seems pretty good right about now," Leo commented. "Tyson's said that the pistons can't handle the deep water, yeah? Well, you can't push past Charybdis on a ship that's already stressed. 's bloody suicide!"

**Besides, she's too high to make a good target. My cannons can't shoot straight up. Charybdis just sits there at the centre of her whirlwind. We're going to steam straight toward her, train our guns on her, and blow her to Tartarus!"**

Leo groaned, running a hand through his curly hair in frustration.

**She said it with such relish I almost wanted to believe her.**

"The feeling was mutual," Annabeth muttered.

**The engine hummed. The boilers were heating up so much I could feel the deck getting warm beneath my feet. The smokestacks billowed. The red Ares flag whipped in the wind.**

Said god smirked.

**As we got closer to the monsters, the sound of Charybdis got louder and louder—a horrible wet roar like the galaxy's biggest toilet being flushed.**

A number of people snorted at that.

**Every time Charybdis inhaled, the ship shuddered and lurched forward. Every time she exhaled, we rose in the water and were buffeted by ten-foot waves.**

Poseidon rolled his eyes, that goddess had no finesse.

**I tried to time the whirlpool. As near as I could figure, it took Charybdis about three minutes to suck up and destroy everything within a half-mile radius.**

"Lovely," Jason muttered. "Well, as long as he doesn't get eaten, looks like Percy is the only one getting out alive."

Thalia smacked him for that.

**To avoid her, we would have to skirt right next to Scylla's cliffs. And as bad as Scylla might be, those cliffs were looking awfully good to me.**

"Evil versus evil, see what I mean?" Apollo snorted.

**Undead sailors calmly went about their business on the spar deck. I guess they'd fought a losing cause before, so this didn't bother them. Or maybe they didn't care about getting destroyed because they were already deceased.**

"Both?"

"Both."

"Both is good." Leo and Jason quoted.

**Neither thought made me feel any better.**

**Annabeth stood next to me, gripping the rail. "You still have your thermos full of wind?"**

**I nodded. "But it's too dangerous to use with a whirlpool like that. More wind might just make things worse."**

"Unfortunately true," Poseidon said grimly. "The last thing you would want to do is to add fuel onto the inferno."

"And the extra burst of power would totally wreck the engines," Leo added. "They'd be trying to compensate by pushing harder and it would just... mess."

**"What about controlling the water?" she asked. "You're Poseidon's son. You've done it before."**

Poseidon shook his head. "Percy cannot _control_ water. He can only guide it."

"Ooh, technicalities," Hades muttered sarcastically. "Our apologies."

Poseidon shot him an unamused look.

**She was right. I closed my eyes and tried to calm the sea, but I couldn't concentrate. Charybdis was too loud and powerful. The waves wouldn't respond.**

Poseidon merely sighed and shook his head.

**"I—I can't," I said miserably.**

**"We need a backup plan," Annabeth said. "This isn't going to work."**

"That's a word for it," Jason sighed.

**"Annabeth is right," Tyson said. "Engine's no good."**

Leo groaned.

**"What do you mean?" she asked.**

**"Pressure. Pistons need fixing."**

**Before he could explain, the cosmic toilet**

Apollo chortled.

**flushed with a mighty _roaaar! _The ship lurched forward and I was thrown to the deck. We were in the whirlpool.**

"Round and round and round it goes, where it stops, nobody knows," Thalia commented, her blue eyes sliding shut for a brief moment.

**"Full reverse!" Clarisse screamed above the noise. The sea churned around us, waves crashing over the deck. The iron plating was now so hot it steamed. "Get us within firing range! Make ready starboard cannons!"**

"Got to admire her resolve, though," Leo remarked.

**Dead Confederates rushed back and forth. The propeller grinded into reverse, trying to slow the ship, but we kept sliding toward the centre of the vortex.**

"How lovely."

**A zombie sailor burst out of the hold and ran to Clarisse. His grey uniform was smoking. His beard was on fire.**

Hephaestus let out a rumbling chuckle as he stroked his own, constantly sparking beard.

**"Boiler room overheating, ma'am! She's going to blow!"**

Leo groaned and rolled his eyes.

**"Well, get down there and fix it!"**

**"Can't!" the sailor yelled. "We're vaporizing in the heat."**

"Huh," Jason chuckled, "that's a statement you don't hear every day."

**Clarisse pounded the side of the casemate. "All I need is a few more minutes! Just enough to get in range!"**

Athena sighed and rolled her eyes skyward.

**"We're going in too fast," the captain said grimly. "Prepare yourself for death."**

"Blunt," Dionysus snorted in amusement.

**"No!" Tyson bellowed. "I can fix it."**

**Clarisse looked at him incredulously. "You?"**

**"He's a Cyclops," Annabeth said. "He's immune to fire. And he knows mechanics."**

"Really," Hephaestus scoffed, "just by saying 'he's a Cyclops', both of those things should be obvious."

**"Go!" yelled Clarisse.**

**"Tyson, no!" I grabbed his arm. "It's too dangerous!"**

Poseidon's mouth quirked.

**He patted my hand. "Only way, brother." His expression was determined—confident, even. I'd never seen him look like this before. "I will fix it. Be right back."**

Annabeth winced.

**As I watched him follow the smouldering sailor down the hatch, I had a terrible feeling.**

"Should probably listen to that," Apollo hummed. "Such feelings are normally right."

**I wanted to run after him,**

Athena looked unimpressed.

**but the ship lurched again—and then I saw Charybdis.**

**She appeared only a few hundred yards away, through a swirl of mist and smoke and water. The first thing I noticed was the reef—a black crag of coral with a fig tree clinging to the top, an oddly peaceful thing in the middle of a maelstrom.**

"The things this kid notices," Apollo grinned. "I like it!"

**All around it, water curved into a funnel, like light around a black hole.**

"Trippy," Leo whistled.

**Then I saw the horrible thing anchored to the reef just below the waterline—an enormous mouth with slimy lips and mossy teeth the size of rowboats.**

"Okay, that's a little gross," Piper wrinkled her nose in disgust.

**And worse, the teeth had braces, bands of corroded scummy metal with pieces of fish and driftwood and floating garbage stuck between them.**

"...and that's just weird. I mean, why-?"

"Who knows, Pipes. Who really knows."

**Charybdis was an orthodontist's nightmare. She was nothing but a huge black maw with bad teeth alignment and a serious overbite, and she'd done nothing for centuries but eat without brushing after meals.**

Apollo sniggered and Hermes chuckled.

**As I watched, the entire sea around her was sucked into the void—sharks, schools of fish, a giant squid. And I realized that in a few seconds, the CSS _Birmingham_ would be next.**

Poseidon grimaced, Charybdis was a bleeding _nightmare_ on underwater politics.

**"Lady Clarisse," the captain shouted. "Starboard and forward guns are in range!"**

"Finally," Ares scoffed.

**"Fire!" Clarisse ordered.**

**Three rounds were blasted into the monster's maw. One blew off the edge of an incisor. Another disappeared into her gullet. The third hit one of Charybdis's retaining bands and shot back at us, snapping the Ares flag off its pole.**

Apollo burst out laughing as Ares scowled and muttered something derogatory under his breath.

**"Again!" Clarisse ordered. The gunners reloaded, but I knew it was hopeless. We would have to pound the monster a hundred more times to do any real damage, and we didn't have that long. We were being sucked in too fast.**

"At least someone has sense," Athena scoffed, rolling her eyes.

**Then the vibrations in the deck changed. The hum of the engine got stronger and steadier. The ship shuddered and we started pulling away from the mouth.**

"Not bad," Hephaestus' mouth twitched.

"No," Poseidon agreed, his sea-green eyes twinkling, "not bad at all."

**"Tyson did it!" Annabeth said.**

**"Wait!" Clarisse said. "We need to stay close!"**

**"We'll die!" I said. "We _have _to move away."**

Athena nodded in agreement, and Ares rolled his eyes.

**I gripped the rail as the ship fought against the suction. The broken Ares flag raced past us and lodged in Charybdis's braces. We weren't making much progress, but at least we were holding our own. Tyson had somehow given us just enough juice to keep the ship from being sucked in.**

"But that's not going to last," Leo remarked grimly. "Not for long, anyways."

**Suddenly, the mouth snapped shut. The sea died to absolute calm. Water washed over Charybdis.**

"Calm before the storm?" Nico suggested in a mutter.

**Then, just as quickly as it had closed, the mouth exploded open, spitting out a wall of water, ejecting every thing inedible, including our cannonballs, one of which slammed into the side of the CSS _Birmingham_ with a _ding _like the bell on a carnival game.**

"Nailed it," Jason replied, glancing over his shoulder to Nico.

"Quite literally," the son of Hades chuckled.

**We were thrown backward on a wave that must've been forty feet high. I used all of my willpower to keep the ship from capsizing, but we were still spinning out of control, hurtling toward the cliffs on the opposite side of the strait.**

"But trust me, we needed that help," Annabeth said with a sigh. "You could feel it the minute Percy started to fight back. It was like a dog that was digging it's heels in, still sliding but obviously fighting."

**Another smouldering sailor burst out of the hold. He stumbled into Clarisse, almost knocking them both over board. "The engine is about to blow!"**

Poseidon frowned deeply.

**"Where's Tyson?" I demanded.**

"Uh-oh," Leo said, paling somewhat.

**"Still down there," the sailor said. "Holding it together somehow, though I don't know for how much longer."**

**The captain said, "We have to abandon ship."**

**"No!" Clarisse yelled.**

Ares scowled. "You've got no choice, girl."

"Gee, I wonder where she's gotten such foolishness from," Artemis remarked sarcastically, glaring at Ares.

**"We have no choice, m'lady. The hull is already cracking apart! She can't—"**

**He never finished his sentence. Quick as lightning, something brown and green shot from the sky, snatched up the captain, and lifted him away. All that was left were his leather boots.**

"New way to look at the phrase 'knock your socks off'," Leo snorted.

"Going out with his boots off?" Nico suggested, lifting a brow.

Leo cackled in reply.

**"Scylla!" a sailor yelled, as another column of reptilian flesh shot from the cliffs and snapped him up. It happened so fast it was like watching a laser beam rather than a monster.**

"Creepy."

**I couldn't even make out the thing's face, just a flash of teeth and scales.**

"Sounds almost like the myths of a kraken," Piper murmured.

**I uncapped Riptide and tried to swipe at the monster as it carried off another deckhand, but I was way too slow.**

"Obviously," Dionysus drawled.

**"Everyone get below!" I yelled.**

**"We can't!" Clarisse drew her own sword. "Below deck is in flames."**

"Not good," Hermes snorted.

**"Lifeboats!" Annabeth said. "Quick!"**

**"They'll never get clear of the cliffs," Clarisse said. "We'll all be eaten."**

**"We have to try. Percy, the thermos."**

Athena nodded approvingly, completely assured.

**"I can't leave Tyson!"**

Hestia smiled sadly and Poseidon's jaw tightened.

**"We have to get the boats ready!"**

**Clarisse took Annabeth's command.**

Ares scowled.

**She and a few of her undead sailors uncovered one of the two emergency rowboats while Scylla's heads rained from the sky like a meteor shower with teeth, picking off Confederate sailors one after another.**

"Without so much as a how-do-you-do, how rude!"

"Hush, Leo!"

**"Get the other boat." I threw Annabeth the thermos. "I'll get Tyson."**

**"You can't!" she said. "The heat will kill you!"**

Poseidon pinched the bridge of his nose.

**I didn't listen.**

"Who's not surprised?" Apollo snorted.

**I ran for the boiler room hatch, when suddenly my feet weren't touching the deck anymore. I was flying straight up, the wind whistling in my ears, the side of the cliff only inches from my face.**

Poseidon leaned forward slowly, his eyes narrowing.

**Scylla had somehow caught me by the knapsack, and was lifting me up toward her lair. Without thinking, I swung my sword behind me and managed to jab the thing in her beady yellow eye.**

Apollo chortled, quickly turning his laugh into a cough at Poseidon's look.

**She grunted and dropped me. The fall would've been bad enough, considering I was a hundred feet in the air. But as I fell, the CSS _Birmingham_ exploded below me.**

Poseidon froze, his eyes sliding shut for a moment and his expression falling grim. The room quieted suddenly as the implications began to sink in.

_**KAROOM!**_

**The engine room blew, sending chunks of ironclad flying in either direction like a fiery set of wings.**

**"Tyson!" I yelled.**

"Oh, child..." Hestia sighed quietly.

**The lifeboats had managed to get away from the ship, but not very far. Flaming wreckage was raining down. Clarisse and Annabeth would either be smashed or burned or pulled to the bottom by the force of the sinking hull, and that was thinking optimistically, assuming they got away from Scylla.**

Ares growled and Athena glanced over at her daughter briefly.

**Then I heard a different kind of explosion—the sound of Hermes's magic thermos being opened a little too far.**

Hermes breathed out slowly.

**White sheets of wind blasted in every direction, scattering the lifeboats, lifting me out of my free fall and propelling me across the ocean.**

Jason grimaced.

**I couldn't see anything. I spun in the air, got clonked on the head by something hard, and hit the water with a crash that would've broken every bone in my body if I hadn't been the son of the Sea God.**

Poseidon's eyes slid open, though they were still dark.

**The last thing I remembered was sinking in a burning sea, knowing that Tyson was gone forever, and wishing I were able to drown.**

"Damn," Apollo muttered quietly.

"Chapter's over... so who wants it?" Jason asked.

"I shall take it," Artemis replied. "Chapter Twelve: We Check into C.C's Spa and Resort."

* * *

Yes, I know, I'm a week late and all. I could say that I never said _which_ Sunday, but that's bull, so let's not.

To make a long story short: a very close friend broke my trust, I had figure skating competitions to do, I had a job interview, my dad made me cry, and school smacked me in the face. To make a long story shorter: I got busy. But that's life. So, to make up for it, I'm giving you two chapters in one posting.

Also: to those who don't approve of the language choices in my story. Please check my rating. It is T which means that there will be some mature language being used. My apologies if you don't like it, but this is what it is.

Hope you enjoyed.

~LastTruth


	40. Chapter 40

**We Check in to C.C.'s Spa & Resort**

Annabeth grimaced uncomfortably.

**I woke up in a rowboat with a makeshift sail stitched of grey uniform fabric. Annabeth sat next to me, tacking into the wind. I tried to sit up and immediately felt woozy.**

"Where's the other girl?" Ares demanded.

"Oh, so you do care?" Artemis asked crossly.

"Every commander ought to care about the men and women under his care," he snapped in reply, "but that doesn't mean I have to put up with their bullshit."

"They're your children!"

"I don't care!"

**"Rest," she said. "You're going to need it."**

**"Tyson...?"**

**She shook her head. "Percy, I'm really sorry."**

A number of people looked genuinely upset at that.

**We were silent while the waves tossed us up and down.**

"I wonder how much of that is natural and how much is the water reacting to Percy's emotions," Athena mused.

**"He may have survived," she said halfheartedly. "I mean, fire can't kill him."**

"And he's a son of Poseidon, right?" Piper added. "So... maybe he can breathe underwater...?"

**I nodded, but I had no reason to feel hopeful. I'd seen that explosion rip through solid iron. If Tyson had been down in the boiler room, there was no way he could've lived. He'd given his life for us, and all I could think about were the times I'd felt embarrassed by him and had denied that the two of us were related.**

Piper hesitated. "You know what's horrible? That moment when you want to say something to make someone else feel better, but you just... you can't. Because the reason they have for feeling horrible is rather... legitimate."

"Hey!" Thalia snapped.

Piper threw her hands up defensively. "I don't mean it in a rude way, just... you know, the truth."

**Waves lapped at the boat. Annabeth showed me some things she'd salvaged from the wreckage—Hermes's thermos (now empty),**

Hermes shrugged.

**a Ziploc bag full of ambrosia, a couple of sailors' shirts, and a bottle of Dr Pepper.**

"Well, that's a touch random," Leo laughed.

"Only a touch," Jason chuckled.

**She'd fished me out of the water and found my knapsack, bitten in half by Scylla's teeth.**

"Because that's not close," Leo snorted.

**Most of my stuff had floated away, but I still had Hermes's bottle of multivitamins, and of course I had Riptide. The ballpoint pen always appeared back in my pocket no matter where I lost it.**

"Which has saved all of us on more than one occasion," Nico grinned.

"Are you smiling?" Thalia asked with a faint smirk. "I thought your face would crack if you dared to smile."

"Shut up."

**We sailed for hours. Now that we were in the Sea of Monsters, the water glittered a more brilliant green, like Hydra acid.**

"I'm not sure if that's awesome or creepy," Leo admitted with a laugh.

**The wind smelled fresh and salty, but it carried a strange metallic scent, too—as if a thunderstorm were coming.**

Zeus' eyes narrowed.

**Or something even more dangerous.**

"Ominous," Piper muttered.

**I knew what direction we needed to go. I knew we were exactly one hundred thirteen nautical miles west by northwest of our destination. But that didn't make me feel any less lost.**

"I don't think such a feeling has been brought on by a lack of direction," Hestia remarked solemnly. "Or at least, not in it's entirety."

**No matter which way we turned, the sun seemed to shine straight into my eyes.**

"Reflection? Or something more?" Jason wondered aloud.

**We took turns sipping from the Dr Pepper, shading ourselves with the sail as best we could.**

"Smart," Apollo smirked.

**And we talked about my latest dream of Grover.**

"Good," Athena said.

**By Annabeth's estimate, we had less than twenty-four hours to find Grover, assuming my dream was accurate, and assuming the Cyclops Polyphemus didn't change his mind and try to marry Grover earlier.**

"But no pressure or anything," Leo said dryly.

**"Yeah," I said bitterly. "You can never trust a Cyclops."**

"Ouch..." Piper winced.

**Annabeth stared across the water. "I'm sorry, Percy. I was wrong about Tyson, okay? I wish I could tell him that."**

Annabeth bit her lip.

**I tried to stay mad at her, but it wasn't easy.**

Aphrodite cooed.

**We'd been through a lot together. She'd saved my life plenty of times. It was stupid of me to resent her.**

Annabeth smiled faintly.

**I looked down at our measly possessions—the empty wind thermos, the bottle of multivitamins. I thought about Luke's look of rage when I'd tried to talk to him about his dad.**

Hermes grimaced.

**"Annabeth, what's Chiron's prophecy?"**

The gods jolted at that and Zeus adopted a dark look.

**She pursed her lips. "Percy, I shouldn't—"**

**"I know Chiron promised the gods he wouldn't tell me. But _you _didn't promise, did you?"**

A number of the gods couldn't help but chuckle at that.

**"Knowledge isn't always good for you."**

**"Your mom is the wisdom goddess!"**

"And that is wise advice," Athena intoned.

**"I know! But every time heroes learn the future, they try to change it, and it never works."**

The gods looked grim.

**"The gods are worried about something I'll do when I get older," I guessed. "Something when I turn sixteen."**

Thalia and Nico exchanged grave looks.

**Annabeth twisted her Yankees cap in her hands. "Percy, I don't know the full prophecy, but it warns about a half-blood child of the Big Three—the next one who lives to the age of sixteen. That's the real reason Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades swore a pact after World War II not to have any more kids. The next child of the Big Three who reaches sixteen will be a dangerous weapon."**

Jason stiffened at that, Nico and Thalia just looked resigned. Hades shot both of his brothers irked looks.

**"Why?"**

**"Because that hero will decide the fate of Olympus.**

"Holy crap..." Leo whistled. "No wonder Percy's such a big hero..."

"Leo!" Piper hissed hitting him in the knee. "Shush!"

"Hey, no need to hit!"

**He or she will make a decision that either saves the Age of the Gods, or destroys it."**

**I let that sink in. I don't get seasick, but suddenly I felt ill.**

Poseidon sighed, running a hand through his hair.

**"That's why Kronos didn't kill me last summer."**

**She nodded. "You could be very useful to him. If he can get you on his side, the gods will be in serious trouble."**

"Understatement," Apollo muttered.

**"But if it's _me _in the prophecy—"**

**"We'll only know that if you survive three more years. That can be a long time for a half-blood. When Chiron first learned about Thalia, he assumed _she _was the one in the prophecy.**

Thalia scowled and shook her head.

**That's why he was so desperate to get her safely to camp. Then she went down fighting and got turned into a pine tree and none of us knew what to think. Until you came along."**

"Way to go, Sea brain," Thalia muttered, a faint smile on her face.

**On our port side, a spiky green dorsal fin about fifteen feet long curled out of the water and disappeared.**

"Cool," Nico murmured, grinning faintly.

**"This kid in the prophecy ... he or she couldn't be like, a Cyclops?" I asked. "The Big Three have lots of monster children."**

Zeus scoffed.

**Annabeth shook her head. "The Oracle said 'half-blood.' That always means half-human, half-god. There's really nobody alive who it could be, except you."**

Nico rolled his eyes.

**"Then why do the gods even let me live? It would be safer to kill me."**

"That's for sure," Ares snorted.

**"You're right."**

**"Thanks a lot."**

**"Percy, I don't know. I guess some of the gods _would _like to kill you, but they're probably afraid of offending Poseidon.**

"Indeed," Poseidon said severely, making it plainly clear that he would wreck anyone who touched his son.

**Other gods... maybe they're still watching you, trying to decide what kind of hero you're going be.**

Dionysus rolled his eyes, in his opinion there was no such thing as a 'good' hero.

**You could be a weapon for their survival, after all. The real question is... what will you do in three years? What decision will you make?"**

Annabeth, Thalia, and Nico all had far away looks in their eyes. Obviously thinking about what _had_ happened.

**"Did the prophecy give any hints?"**

**Annabeth hesitated.**

**Maybe she would've told me more, but just then a sea gull swooped down out of nowhere and landed on our makeshift mast. Annabeth looked startled as the bird dropped a small cluster of leaves into her lap.**

"That's rather Noah's Ark, isn't it?" Piper smiled.

**"Land," she said. "There's land nearby!"**

**I sat up. Sure enough, there was a line of blue and brown in the distance. Another minute and I could make out an island with a small mountain in the centre, a dazzling white collection of buildings, a beach dotted with palm trees, and a harbour filled with a strange assortment of boats. The current was pulling our rowboat toward what looked like a tropical paradise.**

"Don't trust it," Jason remarked warily. "It sounds far too good to be true."

**"Welcome!" said the lady with the clipboard.**

**She looked like a flight attendant—blue business suit, perfect makeup, hair pulled back in a ponytail. She shook our hands as we stepped onto the dock. With the dazzling smile she gave us, you would've thought we'd just gotten off the _Princess Andromeda _rather than a banged-up rowboat.**

Jason sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

**Then again, our rowboat wasn't the weirdest ship in port.**

Piper frowned curiously.

**Along with a bunch of pleasure yachts, there was a U.S. Navy submarine, several dugout canoes, and an old-fashioned three-masted sailing ship.**

"Interesting," Nico murmured.

**There was a helipad with a "Channel Five Fort Lauderdale" helicopter on it, and a short runway with a Learjet and a propeller plane that looked like a World War II fighter.**

"Dude..." Leo whistled.

**Maybe they were replicas for tourists to look at or something.**

"Then why would they just be lying on the beach?" Thalia wanted to know.

**"Is this your first time with us?" the clipboard lady enquired.**

**Annabeth and I exchanged looks. Annabeth said, "Umm ..."**

"It had been a long day..." Annabeth sighed.

**"First—time—at—spa," the lady said as she wrote on her clipboard. "Let's see..."**

**She looked us up and down critically. "Mmm. An herbal wrap to start for the young lady. And of course, a complete makeover for the young gentleman."**

"What's wrong with Percy?" Piper frowned.

"Well, to the _kind_ women at the spa," Annabeth replied, her voice practically dripping with sarcasm, "it's more about the fact that he exists."

**"A what?" I asked.**

**She was too busy jotting down notes to answer.**

"Or ignoring him on purpose," Annabeth muttered.

**"Right!" She said with a breezy smile. "Well, I'm sure C.C. will want to speak with you personally before the luau.**

"Can we all just take a moment to appreciate the ridiculousness that is the word 'luau'?" Leo grinned.

**Come, please."**

**Now here's the thing. Annabeth and I were used to traps, and usually those traps looked good at first. So I expected the clipboard lady to turn into a snake or a demon, or something, any minute.**

Athena nodded slowly.

**But on the other hand, we'd been floating in a rowboat for most of the day. I was hot, tired, and hungry, and when this lady mentioned a luau, my stomach sat up on its hind legs and begged like a dog.**

Artemis rolled her eyes, wholly unamused.

**"I guess it couldn't hurt," Annabeth muttered.**

Athena sighed and closed her eyes; Annabeth winced.

**Of course it could, but we followed the lady anyway.**

"At least he admits it," Artemis muttered.

**I kept my hands in my pockets where I'd stashed my only magic defences—Hermes's multivitamins and Riptide— but the farther we wandered into the resort, the more I forgot about them.**

Piper frowned and shook her head. "Sounds like magic," she said uneasily.

**The place was amazing. There was white marble and blue water everywhere I looked. Terraces climbed up the side of the mountain, with swimming pools on every level, connected by watersides and waterfalls and underwater tubes you could swim through.**

"He would notice the water most, wouldn't he?" Thalia grinned and rolled her eyes. "But that does sound pretty epic."

**Fountains sprayed water into the air, forming impossible shapes, like flying eagles and galloping horses.**

Zeus and Poseidon exchanged a brief look.

**Tyson loved horses, and I knew he'd love those fountains. I almost turned around to see the expression on his face before I remembered: Tyson was gone.**

Jason winced sympathetically as the mood sobered somewhat.

**"You okay?" Annabeth asked me. "You look pale."**

**"I'm okay," I lied.**

Annabeth sighed.

**"Just ... let's keep walking."**

**We passed all kinds of tame animals. A sea turtle napped in a stack of beach towels. A leopard stretched out asleep on the diving board.**

"Cool," Leo remarked.

**The resort guests—only young women, as far as I could see—lounged in deck chairs, drinking fruit smoothies or reading magazines while herbal gunk dried on their faces and manicurists in white uniforms did their nails.**

"No guys?" Nico cocked a brow.

"Apparently not," Thalia muttered.

"Purposely, I wonder?" Athena commented.

**As we headed up a staircase toward what looked like the main building, I heard a woman singing. Her voice drifted through the air like a lullaby. Her words were in some language other than Ancient Greek, but just as old—Minoan, maybe, or something like that.**

Athena muttered something under her breath, no one could hear what it was, but it was said in a rather... _irritated_ tone.

**I could understand what she sang about—moonlight in the olive groves, the colours of the sunrise. And magic. Something about magic. Her voice seemed to lift me off the steps and carry me toward her.**

"Enchanted," Apollo hummed. "Music has always held magic, it just varies in it's strength. Mostly, music is known for it's manipulation of emotions. And anyone who claims they've never cried at a song is a liar."

**We came into a big room where the whole front wall was windows. The back wall was covered in mirrors, so the room seemed to go on forever. There was a bunch of expensive-looking white furniture, and on a table in one corner was a large wire pet cage.**

Annabeth grimaced and tugged on a forelock of blonde hair.

**The cage seemed out of place, but I didn't think about it too much, because just then I saw the lady who'd been singing ... and whoa.**

A number of guys chuckled as a few ladies looked annoyed.

**She sat at a loom the size of a big screen TV, her hands weaving coloured thread back and forth with amazing skill. The tapestry shimmered like it was three dimensional—a waterfall scene so real I could see the water moving and clouds drifting across a fabric sky.**

"Must be brilliant..." Piper said, looking slightly dreamy.

**Annabeth caught her breath. "It's beautiful."**

**The woman turned. She was even prettier than her fabric.**

Having believed Percy to be speaking about the woman in the prior remark, more than a few people laughed at the realization that he was speaking about the tapestry.

**Her long dark hair was braided with threads of gold. She had piercing green eyes and she wore a silky black dress with shapes that seemed to move in the fabric: animal shadows, black upon black, like deer running through a forest at night.**

Artemis looked intrigued.

**"You appreciate weaving, my dear?" the woman asked.**

**"Oh, yes, ma'am!" Annabeth said. "My mother is—"**

**She stopped herself. You couldn't just go around announcing that your mom was Athena, the goddess who invented the loom. Most people would lock you in a rubber room.**

"Hey, it rhymed," Apollo sniggered.

Athena, however, ignored her half-brother and smiled. Having your child be appreciative of your work, was always a worthy thing to endeavour towards.

**Our hostess just smiled. "You have good taste, my dear. I'm so glad you've come. My name is C.C."**

"Well, now we know who she is," Leo remarked.

**The animals in the corner cage started squealing. They must've been guinea pigs, from the sound of them.**

Athena's eyes flashed, curious as to why the animals were mentioned so often.

**We introduced ourselves to C.C. She looked me over with a twinge of disapproval, as if I'd failed some kind of test. Immediately, I felt bad. For some reason, I really wanted to please this lady.**

"He's being enchanted again~" Aphrodite half-sang.

**"Oh, dear," she sighed. "You _do _need my help."**

"Well, that's rather rude," Piper muttered.

**"Ma'am?" I asked.**

**C.C. called to the lady in the business suit. "Hylla, take Annabeth on a tour, will you? Show her what we have available. The clothing will need to change. And the hair, my goodness.**

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

**We will do a full image consultation after I've spoken with this young gentleman."**

**"But..." Annabeth's voice sounded hurt.**

The real Annabeth flushed faintly.

**"What's wrong with my hair?"**

**C.C. smiled benevolently. "My dear, you are lovely. Really! But you're not showing off yourself or your talents at all. So much wasted potential!"**

**"Wasted?"**

**"Well, surely you're not happy the way you are!**

"Can I smack her?" Piper asked with a frown. "I mean, honestly, the goal shouldn't be to become pretty. The goal should be to become comfortable. So what if messy hair and cut-off jeans aren't considered 'fashionable'? So what if your Rolling Stones t-shirt isn't considered 'cute'? And who really cares if your Doctor Who t-shirt is considered 'stupidly dorky'? If it's who you are then it's _who you are_. And nobody should have the right to take that away from you."

"Well said, dove," Aphrodite said approvingly.

**My goodness, there's not a single person who is.**

Piper muttered something derogatory under her breath.

**But don't worry. We can improve anyone here at the spa. Hylla will show you what I mean. You, my dear, need to unlock your true self!"**

**Annabeth's eyes glowed with longing. I'd never seen her so much at a loss for words. "But... what about Percy?"**

"Want your boyfriend to be pretty too, do you?" Apollo teased with a laugh.

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

**"Oh, definitely," C.C. said, giving me a sad look. "Percy requires my personal attention. He needs _much _more work than you."**

"I'm going to hit her," Thalia scowled. "Percy's like my little brother, no one has the right to tear at him like that."

"Anh, I knew you cared," Nico snorted with a grin.

"And if anyone tells him I said that," Thalia glared at Nico, "you're the first to be hit with a lightning bolt."

**Normally if somebody had told me that, I would've gotten angry, but when C.C. said it, I felt sad. I'd disappointed her. I had to figure out how to do better.**

"Definitely enchantment," Poseidon murmured.

**The guinea pigs squealed like they were hungry.**

Athena's frown deepened.

**"Well..." Annabeth said. "I suppose..."**

**"Right this way, dear," Hylla said. And Annabeth allowed herself to be led away into the waterfall-laced gardens of the spa.**

**C.C. took my arm and guided me toward the mirrored wall. "You see, Percy... to unlock your potential, you'll need serious help. The first step is admitting that you're not happy the way you are."**

"Oh please," Piper scoffed.

"Pipes, calm down," Jason soothed, gripping her hand tightly.

**I fidgeted in the front of the mirror. I hated thinking about my appearance—like the first zit that had cropped up on my nose at the beginning of the school year, or the fact that my two front teeth weren't perfectly even, or that my hair never stayed down straight.**

"Girls will go crazy for that last one," Aphrodite hummed. "Messy hair is _so_ cute."

**C.C.'s voice brought all of these things to mind, as if she were passing me under a microscope. And my clothes were not cool. I knew that.**

**Who cares? Part of me thought.**

"Strong-willed," a smile tugged at Hestia's mouth. "However short lived, it's impressive that he thought such at all."

**But standing in front of C.C.'s mirror, it was hard to see anything good in myself.**

"I'm pretty sure it was designed that way," Annabeth muttered.

**"There, there," C.C. consoled. "How about we try ... this."**

**She snapped her fingers and a sky-blue curtain rolled down over the mirror. It shimmered like the fabric on her loom.**

Leo's head cocked.

**"What do you see?" C.C. asked.**

**I looked at the blue cloth, not sure what she meant. "I don't—"**

**Then it changed colours. I saw myself—a reflection, but not a reflection. Shimmering there on the cloth was a cooler version of Percy Jackson—with just the right clothes, a confident smile on my face. My teeth were straight. No zits. A perfect tan. More athletic. Maybe a couple of inches taller. It was me, without the faults.**

"You mean it's a lie," Piper said flatly. "Just like all of those magazines with air-brushed girls. Oh sure, it looks pretty. But it's not _real_, nor is it _you_. It's an unattainable image. It's like showing a horse a picture of a unicorn. The horse will _never_ be the unicorn, yet still people will insist that it'd be _better _as a unicorn."

"It's stupid," Thalia agreed. "Stupid marketing designed to make others feel inferior so that they'll buy what the company wishes them to buy."

"It just, ugh," Piper shook her head, "it makes me so _angry_."

**"Whoa," I managed.**

**"Do you want that?" C.C. asked. "Or shall I try a different—"**

**"No," I said. "That's... that's amazing. Can you really—"**

"Oh, Percy," Annabeth shook her head.

**"I can give you a full makeover," C.C. promised.**

**"What's the catch?" I said. "I have to like... eat a special diet?"**

"I doubt it will be anything so trivial," Athena commented quietly.

**"Oh, it's quite easy," C.C. said. "Plenty of fresh fruit, a mild exercise program, and of course... this."**

"Something wicked this way comes..." Leo muttered.

**She stepped over to her wet bar and filled a glass with water. Then she ripped open a drink-mix packet and poured in some red powder. The mixture began to glow. When it faded, the drink looked just like a strawberry milk shake.**

"Oh that's just cruel," Leo complained, "why a strawberry milkshake? That's going to like, ruin strawberry milkshakes for me!"

**"One of these, substituted for a regular meal," C.C. said. "I guarantee you'll see results immediately."**

**"How is that possible?"**

**She laughed. "Why question it?**

Grim looks adorned most faces by now.

**I mean, don't you want the perfect you right away?"**

**Something nagged at the back of my mind. "Why are there no guys at this spa?"**

"Good, fight against it," Thalia urged.

"**Oh, but there are,"**

Annabeth scoffed loudly.

**C.C. assured me. "You'll meet them quite soon. Just try the mixture. You'll see."**

**I looked at the blue tapestry, at the reflection of me, but not me.**

Piper scowled.

**"Now, Percy," C.C. chided. "The hardest part of the makeover process is giving up control. You have to decide: do you want to trust _your _judgement about what you should be, or _my _judgement?"**

"I'd prefer to think for myself, thanks," Piper snapped, Jason wrapped an arm around her shoulders comfortingly.

**My throat felt dry. I heard myself say, "Your judgement."**

**C.C. smiled and handed me the glass. I lifted it to my lips.**

**It tasted just like it looked—like a strawberry milkshake. **

**Almost immediately a warm feeling spread through my gut: pleasant at first, then painfully hot, searing, as if the mixture were coming to a boil inside of me.**

The room tensed.

**I doubled over and dropped the cup. "What have you ... what's happening?"**

**"Don't worry, Percy," C.C. said. "The pain will pass. Look! As I promised. Immediate results."**

**Something was horribly wrong.**

"Obviously," Hades drawled.

**The curtain dropped away, and in the mirror I saw my hands shrivelling, curling, growing long delicate claws. Fur sprouted on my face, under my shirt, in every uncomfortable place you can imagine. My teeth felt too heavy in my mouth. My clothes were getting too big, or C.C. was getting too tall—no, I was shrinking.**

Athena nodded grimly; she had been right. _Guinea pigs_.

**In one awful flash, I sank into a cavern of dark cloth. I was buried in my own shirt. I tried to run but hands grabbed me—hands as big as I was. I tried to scream for help, but all that came out of my mouth was, _"Reeet, reeet, reeet!"_**

"Okay," Leo grimaced, "that's just freaking terrifying."

**The giant hands squeezed me around the middle, lifting me into the air. I struggled and kicked with legs and arms that seemed much too stubby, and then I was staring, horrified, into the enormous face of C.C.**

Poseidon adjusted his grip on his trident, looking annoyed.

**"Perfect!" her voice boomed. I squirmed in alarm, but she only tightened her grip around my furry belly. "See, Percy? You've unlocked your true self!"**

"When really she concocted the mixture that would turn him into a guinea pig," Piper muttered rebelliously, "freaking insult onto injury."

**She held me up to the mirror, and what I saw made me scream in terror, _"Reeet, reeet, reeet!" _There was C.C., beautiful and smiling, holding a fluffy, bucktoothed creature with tiny claws and white and orange fur.**

"Really, you'd think he'd be black because of his hair..." Leo remarked.

"Not helping," Nico snorted.

**When I twisted, so did the furry critter in the mirror. I was... I was...**

"Rather slow," Dionysus muttered, rolling his eyes.

**"A guinea pig," C.C. said. "Lovely, aren't you? Men are pigs, Percy Jackson.**

Artemis cocked a brow.

**I used to turn them into _real _pigs, but they were so smelly and large and difficult to keep. Not much different than they were before, really. Guinea pigs are much more convenient! Now come, and meet the other men."**

"Ooh, how _witty_," Nico scoffed, rolling his eyes.

**_"Reeet!" _I protested, trying to scratch her, but C.C. squeezed me so tight I almost blacked out.**

**"None of that, little one," she scolded, "or I'll feed you to the owls. Go into the cage like a good little pet. Tomorrow, if you behave, you'll be on your way. There is always a classroom in need of a new guinea pig."**

"Okay," Thalia grimaced, "creepy on _so_ many levels."

**My mind was racing as fast as my tiny little heart. I needed to get back to my clothes, which were lying in a heap on the floor. If I could do that, I could get Riptide out of my pocket and... And what?**

"'What', indeed," Dionysus muttered.

**I couldn't uncap the pen. Even if I did, I couldn't hold the sword. I squirmed helplessly as C.C. brought me over to the guinea pig cage and opened the wire door.**

"Not good," Jason shook his head.

"Touch of an understatement, yeah?" Hermes chuckled.

**"Meet my discipline problems, Percy," she warned. "They'll never make good classroom pets, but they might teach you some manners. Most of them have been in this cage for three hundred years.**

"Oh, that just _sucks_," Leo winced.

**If you don't want to stay with them permanently, I'd suggest you—"**

**Annabeth's voice called: "Miss C.C.?"**

Athena leaned forward slightly, curious and a touch worried.

**C.C. cursed in Ancient Greek. She plopped me into the cage and closed the door. I squealed and clawed at the bars, but it was no good. I watched as C.C. hurriedly kicked my clothes under the loom just as Annabeth came in.**

**I almost didn't recognize her.**

Annabeth frowned, slightly hurt at that.

**She was wearing a sleeveless silk dress like C.C.'s, only white. Her blond hair was newly washed and combed and braided with gold. Worst of all, she was wearing makeup,**

Annabeth scowled to hide her wince and looked away.

**which I never thought Annabeth would be caught dead in. I mean, she looked good.**

Thalia nudged Annabeth at this, and the blonde's head jerked slightly in recognition.

**Really good. I probably would've been tongue-tied if I could've said any thing except _reet, reet, reet. _But there was also something totally wrong about it. It just wasn't Annabeth.**

"See?" Piper pointed out, not noticing as a soft, bashful smile crossed Annabeth's face at Percy's thoughts.

"Oh, I see something, alright," Aphrodite smiled, watching Annabeth.

**She looked around the room and frowned. "Where's Percy?"**

**I squealed up a storm, but she didn't seem to hear me.**

**C.C. smiled. "He's having one of our treatments, my dear. Not to worry.**

"I'm worrying," Apollo replied dryly.

**You look wonderful! What did you think of your tour?"**

**Annabeth's eyes brightened. "Your library is amazing!"**

Athena couldn't help but chuckle quietly.

**"Yes, indeed," C.C. said, "The best knowledge of the past three millennia. Anything you want to study, anything you want to _be, _my dear."**

**"An architect?"**

**"Pah!" C.C. said. "You, my dear, have the makings of a sorceress. Like me."**

"May I just point out?" Jason said. "Building on Piper's previous arguments, can we just note how C.C just said that Annabeth can be anything she wants to be; but the minute Annabeth tells C.C what she wants, she's told no? Is that not like little kids who want to dress up like a princess but are told 'no' because they're boys? Or kids who want to join the army but are told they shouldn't because that's only for boys? Or how about the kids who say they want to be writers, actors, dancers, musicians, or artists and told 'no' because those aren't 'proper' jobs, they're just 'hobbies'?"

Piper gave Jason a long look before pressing a kiss to his mouth. "This, this is why you're amazing!" She told him firmly, ignoring the wolf-whistles and cat-calls being sent their way.

Jason just grinned at her, looking faintly dazed.

**Annabeth took a step back. "A sorceress?"**

**"Yes, my dear." C.C. held up her hand. A flame appeared in her palm and danced across her fingertips. "My mother is Hecate, the goddess of magic. I know a daughter of Athena when I see one.**

Athena stiffened.

**We are not so different, you and I. We both seek knowledge. We both admire greatness. Neither of us needs to stand in the shadow of men."**

"Oh my holy..." Thalia rolled her eyes. "Look, I hate male bigotry as much as the next girl. But, really, have we not already learnt that one sex is not above the other? This is just getting ridiculous. 'An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind', you know!"

"Thanks, Gandhi," Nico commented dryly.

"You know, technically that doesn't make any sense," Apollo mused. "I mean, if I take your eye, and you take my eye in return. We both still have one eye each. So, technically speaking, an eye for an eye makes the whole world _monocular_."

Hermes huffed on a breath of laughter. "You're such a _dork_."

**"I—I don't understand."**

**Again, I squealed my best, trying to get Annabeth's attention, but she either couldn't hear me or didn't think the noises were important.**

Annabeth smiled sheepishly.

**Meanwhile, the other guinea pigs were emerging from their hutch to check me out. I didn't think it was possible for guinea pigs to look mean, but these did.**

"Well, once you know who they are..." Annabeth shrugged.

**There were half a dozen, with dirty fur and cracked teeth and beady red eyes. They were covered with shavings and smelled like they really had been in here for three hundred years, without getting their cage cleaned.**

"Ugh," Aphrodite wrinkled her nose.

**"Stay with me," C.C. was telling Annabeth. "Study with me. You can join our staff, become a sorceress, learn to bend others to your will. You will become immortal!"**

Annabeth's mind suddenly flashed to a time when Percy was offered, in a very different way, the same option. It was odd, when she thought about it. Because she was more than slightly sure that both she and Percy had turned down immortality for the same reason: _her_.

**"But—"**

**"You are too intelligent, my dear," C.C. said. "You know better than to trust that silly camp for heroes. How many great female half-blood heroes can you name?"**

**"Um, Atalanta, Amelia Earhart—"**

**"Bah! Men get all the glory."**

A number of people snorted at this.

**C.C. closed her fist and extinguished the magic flame. "The only way to power for women is sorcery. Medea, Calypso, now there were powerful women! And me, of course. The greatest of all."**

"Mesa don't think so," Leo scoffed.

**"You ... C.C. ... Circe!"**

"Ah," Jason said, blinking at the connection. "Wasn't she in the _Odyssey_?"

"Yes," Hermes replied dryly, "yes, she was."

**"Yes, my dear."**

**Annabeth backed up, and Circe laughed. "You need not worry. I mean you no harm."**

**"What have you done to Percy?"**

**"Only helped him realize his true form."**

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

**Annabeth scanned the room. Finally she saw the cage, and me scratching at the bars, all the other guinea pigs crowding around me. Her eyes went wide.**

**"Forget him," Circe said. "Join me and learn the ways of sorcery."**

"Pushy little thing, isn't she?" Apollo snorted.

**"But—"**

**"Your friend will be well cared for. He'll be shipped to a wonderful new home on the mainland. The kindergartners will adore him. Meanwhile, you will be wise and powerful. You will have all you ever wanted."**

"Except Percy~" Aphrodite sang, smiling innocently at the looks she was given.

**Annabeth was still staring at me, but she had a dreamy expression on her face. She looked the same way I had when Circe enchanted me into drinking the guinea pig milkshake.**

Piper scowled again.

**I squealed and scratched, trying to warn her to snap out of it, but I was absolutely powerless.**

"And if there's one thing everyone in the world hates..." Nico shook his head.

**"Let me think about it," Annabeth murmured. "Just... give me a minute alone. To say goodbye."**

Athena paused for a moment, wondering if her daughter was doing what she thought she was doing.

**"Of course, my dear," Circe cooed. "One minute. Oh ... and so you have absolute privacy ..." She waved her hand and iron bars slammed down over the windows. She swept out of the room and I heard the locks on the door click shut behind her.**

"Controlling much?" Apollo snorted.

**The dreamy look melted off Annabeth's face.**

Athena nodded.

**She rushed over to my cage. "All right, which one is you?"**

**I squealed, but so did all the other guinea pigs. Annabeth looked desperate.**

"I was panicking," Annabeth admitted.

**She scanned the room and spotted the cuff of my jeans sticking out from under the loom.**

**"Yes!"**

**She rushed over and rummaged through my pockets. But instead of bringing out Riptide, she found the bottle of Hermes multivitamins and started struggling with the cap.**

"Brilliant!" Hermes grinned, Athena nodding as well.

**I wanted to scream at her that this wasn't the time for taking supplements! She had to draw the sword!**

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I'm can't_ use_ a sword, Seaweed brain, I'd only hurt myself and look foolish!"

**She popped a lemon chewable in her mouth just as the door flew open and Circe came back in, flanked by two of her business-suited attendants.**

"Someone's paranoid," Leo sniggered.

**"Well," Circe sighed, "how fast a minute passes. What is your answer, my dear?"**

**"This," Annabeth said, and she drew her bronze knife.**

"And here we go," Jason muttered.

**The sorceress stepped back, but her surprise quickly passed. She sneered. "Really, little girl, a knife against _my _magic? Is that wise?"**

"Meh," Apollo shrugged, "not any worse then her prior situation."

**Circe looked back at her attendants, who smiled. They raised their hands as if preparing to cast a spell.**

**_Run! _I wanted to tell Annabeth, but all I could make were rodent noises. The other guinea pigs squealed in terror and scuttled around the cage. I had the urge to panic and hide, too, but I had to think of something! I couldn't stand to lose Annabeth the way I'd lost Tyson.**

"Loyal," Hestia hummed, "or protective, I suppose."

**"What will Annabeth's makeover be?" Circe mused. "Something small and ill-tempered. I know... a shrew!"**

"Ooh, witty," Leo snickered. "This lady is crazy. She's all 'I'm Princess Stabbity! Stab, kill, kill!'"

Piper snorted. "You're nuts, Leo."

"Oh yeah, I'm downright screwy," Leo snickered at his own little pun as the others rolled their eyes.

**Blue fire coiled from her fingers curling like serpents around Annabeth.**

**I watched, horror-struck, but nothing happened. Annabeth was still Annabeth, only angrier. She leaped for ward and stuck the point of her knife against Circe's neck.**

"Kittens got claws," Aphrodite hummed.

**"How about turning me into a panther instead? One that has her claws at your throat!"**

"Speaking of," Apollo sniggered.

**"How!" Circe yelped.**

**Annabeth held up my bottle of vitamins for the sorceress to see.**

**Circe howled in frustration. "Curse Hermes and his multivitamins! Those are such a fad! They do _nothing _for you."**

Hermes just grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

**"Turn Percy back to a human or else!" Annabeth said.**

**"I can't!"**

**"Then you asked for it."**

**Circe's attendants stepped forward, but their mistress said, "Get back! She's immune to magic until that cursed vitamin wears off."**

Hermes cackled this time, looking highly pleased with himself.

**Annabeth dragged Circe over to the guinea pig cage, knocked the top off, and poured the rest of the vitamins inside.**

Poseidon chuckled at that.

**"No!" Circe screamed.**

**I was the first to get a vitamin, but all the other guinea pigs scuttled out, too, and checked out this new food.**

**The first nibble, and I felt all fiery inside. I gnawed at the vitamin until it stopped looking so huge, and the cage got smaller, and then suddenly, _bang! _The cage exploded. I was sitting on the floor, a human again—somehow back in my regular clothes, thank the gods—**

"Yes, let's not flash anyone," Apollo cackled, making Annabeth flush at the implication.

**with six other guys who all looked disoriented, blinking and shaking wood shavings out of their hair.**

**"No!" Circe screamed. "You don't understand! Those are the worst!"**

"Too late now," Nico snorted.

**One of the men stood up—a huge guy with a long tangled pitch-black beard and teeth the same colour.**

Aphrodite rolled her eyes, oh she _knew_ who this one was.

**He wore mismatched clothes of wool and leather, knee-length boots, and a floppy felt hat. The other men were dressed more simply—in breeches and stained white shirts. All of them were barefoot.**

"Hey, quick question," Leo said, "if these are pirates from three-hundred years ago, does that mean that all the other guys who were sent to kindergarten classes are still alive? Or... as soon as they left the island, did they become mortal again?"

"Who knows," Jason shrugged.

**"Argggh!" bellowed the big man. "What's the witch done t'me!"**

**"No!" Circe moaned.**

**Annabeth gasped. "I recognize you! Edward Teach, son of Ares?"**

Ares chuckled, a smirk on his mouth.

**"Aye, lass," the big man growled. "Though most call me Blackbeard! And there's the sorceress what captured us, lads. Run her through, and then I mean to find me a big bowl of celery! Arggggh!"**

A number of people couldn't help but chuckle at the oddity of that statement. I mean, really, _celery?_

**Circe screamed. She and her attendants ran from the room, chased by the pirates.**

Again, the room chuckled.

**Annabeth sheathed her knife and glared at me.**

"Somebody's in trouble~" Leo sang.

**"Thanks..." I faltered. "I'm really sorry—"**

**Before I could figure out how to apologize for being such an idiot, she tackled me with a hug,**

Aphrodite shrieked, giggling wildly.

**then pulled away just as quickly. **

**"I'm glad you're not a guinea pig."**

**"Me, too." I hoped my face wasn't as red as it felt.**

"Oh, they're simply _adorable_!" She squealed.

**She undid the golden braids in her hair.**

**"Come on, Seaweed Brain," she said. "We have to get away while Circe's distracted."**

"Would be smart, yes," Dionysus drawled.

**We ran down the hillside through the terraces, past screaming spa workers and pirates ransacking the resort. Blackbeard's men broke the tiki torches for the luau, threw herbal wraps into the swimming pool, and kicked over tables of sauna towels.**

**I almost felt bad letting the unruly pirates out, but I guessed they deserved something more entertaining than the exercise wheel after being cooped up in a cage for three centuries.**

The room laughed.

**"Which ship?" Annabeth said as we reached the docks.**

**I looked around desperately. We couldn't very well take our rowboat. We had to get off the island fast, but what else could we use? A sub? A fighter jet? I couldn't pilot any of those things. And then I saw it.**

Poseidon smiled, he already knew which one Percy would choose. It was in his blood.

**"There," I said.**

**Annabeth blinked. "But—"**

**"I can make it work."**

**"How?"**

**I couldn't explain. I just somehow knew an old sailing vessel was the best bet for me.**

"How typical," Hades muttered, rolling his eyes.

**I grabbed Annabeth's hand and pulled her toward the three-mast ship. Painted on its prow was the name that I would only decipher later: _Queen Anne's Revenge._**

"I don't think Blackbeard's going to take that very well," Thalia remarked idly.

"No, probably not," Jason chuckled.

**"Argggh!" Blackbeard yelled somewhere behind us. "Those scalawags are a-boarding me vessel! Get 'em, lads!"**

**"We'll never get going in time!" Annabeth yelled as we climbed aboard.**

"Don't underestimate Percy, he'll surprise you," Poseidon remarked, a fierce glint in his eyes.

**I looked around at the hopeless maze of sail and ropes. The ship was in great condition for a three-hundred-year-old vessel, but it would still take a crew of fifty several hours to get underway. We didn't have several hours.**

"Nor do you have a crew of fifty," Jason pointed out dryly.

**I could see the pirates running down the stairs, waving tiki torches and sticks of celery.**

"Ooh, beware the terrible _celery_!" Leo cackled.

**I closed my eyes and concentrated on the waves lapping against the hull, the ocean currents, the winds all around me. Suddenly, the right word appeared in my mind. **

**"Mizzenmast!" I yelled.**

"Stupid Sea brain with his stupid powers," Thalia muttered.

"Jealous?" Nico teased.

"Like you aren't?"

"...shut up."

**Annabeth looked at me like I was nuts, but in the next second, the air was filled with whistling sounds of ropes being snapped taut, canvases unfurling, and wooden pulleys creaking...**

"Brilliant!" Apollo grinned.

**Annabeth ducked as a cable flew over her head and wrapped itself around the bowsprit. "Percy, how..."**

"Sea Prince," Hermes answered with an amused smile.

**I didn't have an answer, but I could feel the ship responding to me as if it were part of my body.**

"Cool!"

**I willed the sails to rise as easily as if I were flexing my arm. I willed the rudder to turn.**

**The _Queen Anne's Revenge _lurched away from the dock, and by the time the pirates arrived at the water's edge, we were already underway, sailing into the Sea of Monsters.**

"Awesome!" Nico fistpumped.

"I shall read next, Lady Artemis," Thalia offered, incling her head to the goddess.

Artemis nodded. "Very well," she replied as she flew the book over to her.

"Chapter thirteen: Annabeth Tries to Swim Home."

* * *

And here we stand.

So, guys and gals, which is your favourite Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus book? Mine is Titan's Curse. I loved the whole holding-up-the-sky thing, it was brill.

Hope you enjoyed.

~LastTruth


	41. Chapter 41

**Annabeth Tries to Swim Home**

"Doesn't sound like a particularly _good_ idea," Leo remarked dryly.

"Something probably happened then," Jason replied grimly.

**I'd finally found something I was really good at.**

"Oh Percy," Annabeth sighed.

**The _Queen Anne's Revenge _responded to my every command. I knew which ropes to hoist, which sails to raise, which direction to steer.**

Poseidon smiled faintly.

**We plowed through the waves at what I figured was about ten knots. I even understood how fast that was.**

"Okay, ouch," Apollo winced, "ease up on the self-deprecation, kid."

"After what just happened, I'm certain he's still reeling," Athena commented quietly. "He's punishing himself for what has happened with Circe."

**For a sailing ship, pretty darn fast. It all felt perfect—the wind in my face, the waves breaking over the prow.**

Poseidon chuckled quietly.

**But now that we were out of danger, all I could think about was how much I missed Tyson, and how worried I was about Grover.**

"Hear that?" Leo said, cupping his hand over his ear, "that's the sound of all the amusement and joy being sucked out of the room."

"Shut up," Nico scowled at him.

"Woah, cool it!" Leo said, throwing his hands up defensively. "I'm only joking, bro, only joking."

**I couldn't get over how badly I'd messed up on Circe's Island. If it hadn't been for Annabeth, I'd still be a rodent, hiding in a hutch with a bunch of cute furry pirates.**

"An unfortunate truth," Athena murmured.

"He messed up," Ares said bluntly, "kid needs to get over it. He's no use to anyone when he's second guessing himself."

"Be kind, lover," Aphrodite hummed, "Percy's had a touch of shock."

"Or a dose with reality," Dionysus scoffed.

"Hey!" Thalia protested.

Dionysus merely rolled his eyes.

**I thought about what Circe had said: _See, Percy? You've unlocked your true self!_**

**I still felt changed. Not just because I had a sudden desire to eat lettuce.**

Apollo had to quickly change his laugh into a cough.

**I felt jumpy, like the instinct to be a scared little animal was now a part of me. Or maybe it had always been there. That's what really worried me.**

"It's in everyone, seaweed brain, don't be stupid," Thalia snapped.

**We sailed through the night.**

**Annabeth tried to help me keep lookout, but sailing didn't agree with her.**

"Being a daughter of Athena, who is the daughter of the sky god," Poseidon remarked in a quiet rumble, "such things would not agree with her."

**After a few hours rocking back and forth, her face turned the colour of guacamole and she went below to lie in a hammock.**

"Which did not help much," Annabeth muttered.

**I watched the horizon. More than once I spotted monsters. A plume of water as tall as a skyscraper spewed into the moonlight.**

"You sure that isn't a whale?" Leo wanted to know.

**A row of green spines slithered across the waves—something maybe a hundred feet long, reptilian. I didn't really want to know.**

Poseidon chuckled.

**Once I saw Nereids, the glowing lady spirits of the sea. I tried to wave at them, but they disappeared into the depths, leaving me unsure whether they'd seen me or not.**

"They most likely did," Poseidon remarked calmly. "But they're probably reporting to me on your progress."

Zeus grimaced at the mention of his brother watching over the boy, but didn't say anything about it.

**Sometime after midnight, Annabeth came up on deck. We were just passing a smoking volcano island. The sea bubbled and steamed around the shore.**

Hephaestus' mouth quirked.

**"One of the forges of Hephaestus," Annabeth said. "Where he makes his metal monsters."**

Hephaestus' chuckle sounded like a deep bass that was more felt than heard.

**"Like the bronze bulls?"**

**She nodded. "Go around. Far around."**

**I didn't need to be told twice. We steered clear of the island, and soon it was just a red patch of haze behind us.**

"Good," Athena approved.

**I looked at Annabeth. "The reason you hate Cyclopes so much ... the story about how Thalia really died. What happened?"**

Thalia and Annabeth flinched, Zeus' expression hardened and Athena stilled.

**It was hard to see her expression in the dark.**

**"I guess you deserve to know," she said finally. "The night Grover was escorting us to camp, he got confused, took some wrong turns. You remember he told you that once?"**

Thalia and Annabeth both winced as the tension in the room doubled.

**I nodded.**

**"Well, the worst wrong turn was into a Cyclops's lair in Brooklyn."**

Hermes grimaced.

**"They've got Cyclopes in Brooklyn?" I asked.**

**"You wouldn't believe how many,**

"Seriously," Apollo snorted. "Like, a freaking hundred thousand or something ridiculous like that."

**but that's not the point. This Cyclops, he tricked us. He managed to split us up inside this maze of corridors in an old house in Flatbush.**

"I think I know where this is going..." Piper whispered, her mercurial eyes sad.

**And he could sound like anyone, Percy. Just the way Tyson did aboard the _Princess Andromeda. _He lured us, one at a time. Thalia thought she was running to save Luke. Luke thought he heard me scream for help. And me ... I was alone in the dark. I was seven years old. I couldn't even find the exit."**

Athena frowned, her brow furrowing. One who was unfamiliar with her might think she was disappointed, but one who knew her could see the worry swimming in her eyes.

**She brushed the hair out of her face. "I remember finding the main room. There were bones all over the floor. And there were Thalia and Luke and Grover, tied up and gagged, hanging from the ceiling like smoked hams.**

Thalia grit her teeth and tossed her head, seething in remembrance of the indignity.

**The Cyclops was starting a fire in the middle of the floor. I drew my knife, but he heard me. He turned and smiled. He spoke, and somehow he knew my dad's voice.**

Athena stiffened.

**I guess he just plucked it out of my mind. He said, 'Now, Annabeth, don't you worry. I love you. You can stay here with me. You can stay forever.'"**

"Bastard," Leo muttered.

**I shivered. The way she told it—even now, six years later—freaked me out worse than any ghost story I'd ever heard.**

"Agreed," Piper shivered.

**"What did you do?"**

**"I stabbed him in the foot."**

Leo choked on a laugh as Apollo burst into loud guffaws, Hermes cackling along with him. Annabeth couldn't stop the grin that stretched across her face even as her cheeks burnt.

**I stared at her. "Are you kidding? You were seven years old and you stabbed a grown Cyclops in the foot?"**

**"Oh, he would've killed me. But I surprised him. It gave me just enough time to run to Thalia and cut the ropes on her hands. She took it from there."**

Thalia grinned and shook her head. "Don't listen to her, she was the real star of the show."

**"Yeah, but still ... that was pretty brave, Annabeth."**

"It definitely was," Thalia told her, giving her a hug.

**She shook her head. "We barely got out alive. I still have nightmares, Percy.**

"The nightmares prove to you that you lived," Athena told her daughter gently, a fierce sort of pride in her eyes, "take joy in them, daughter, and do not let them harm you."

**The way that Cyclops talked in my father's voice. It was his fault we took so long getting to camp. All the monsters who'd been chasing us had time to catch up. That's really why Thalia died. If it hadn't been for that Cyclops, she'd still be alive today."**

"We don't know that," Thalia muttered stubbornly. "And besides, maybe it was meant to happen. Maybe I wasn't meant to be the child of the prophecy."

"It never specified," Nico pointed out in a mutter.

Thalia looked at him. "You're right. And it also didn't say that we were supposed to save Olympus either, Nico. Maybe the two of us would've destroyed it. Can you say that if the timing had been different you wouldn't've done it? After Bianca-"

"Stop." Nico stressed, his voice tight. "Stop it."

Thalia fell silent, her expression ashen. "Sorry, I didn't- sorry."

"It's fine," Nico replied, looking away. An awkward silence falling over the demigods.

**We sat on the deck, watching the Hercules constellation rise in the night sky.**

Artemis scoffed.

**"Go below," Annabeth told me at last. "You need some rest."**

**I nodded. My eyes were heavy. But when I got below and found a hammock, it took me a long time to fall asleep.**

"I can imagine..." Jason muttered.

**I kept thinking about Annabeth's story. I wondered, if I were her, would I have had enough courage to go on this quest, to sail straight toward the lair of another Cyclops?**

Annabeth smiled faintly, not a doubt in her mind as to whether or not Percy would have gone.

**I didn't dream about Grover. Instead I found myself back in Luke's stateroom aboard the _Princess Andromeda._**

Poseidon's eyes narrowed and his grip on his trident tightened.

**The curtains were open. It was nighttime outside. The air swirled with shadows. Voices whispered all around me—spirits of the dead.**

Hades, though he'd deny it until the end of time, looked curious.

**_Beware, _they whispered. _Traps. Trickery._**

**Kronos's golden sarcophagus glowed faintly—the only source of light in the room.**

**A cold laugh startled me. It seemed to come from miles below the ship. _You don't have the courage, young one. You can't stop me._**

The children of Kronos all became tense at that, though the younger gods merely looked unsettled. Zeus, in particular, stiffened tellingly and his eyes began to glow as his hands began to spark.

**I knew what I had to do. I had to open that coffin. I uncapped Riptide. Ghosts whirled around me like a tornado. _Beware! _My heart pounded. I couldn't make my feet move, but I had to stop Kronos. I had to destroy whatever was in that box.**

"He's paralysed with fear..." Athena murmured, looking curious.

**Then a girl spoke right next to me: "Well, Seaweed Brain?"**

"Invading dreams too, Annabeth?" Leo remarked with a faint laugh.

"No," Annabeth replied, frowning in thought.

**I looked over, expecting to see Annabeth, but the girl wasn't Annabeth. She wore punk-style clothes with silver chains on her wrists. She had spiky black hair, dark eye liner around her stormy blue eyes, and a spray of freckles across her nose.**

"_I'm_ there?" Thalia sounded incredulous. "What the hell?! This is the second time!"

"He couldn't know who you are," Annabeth frowned, "why then..."

"Well, we know she's alive, right?" Jason pointed out. "I mean, she may be trapped in a tree or something, but she's still alive. No one can return to life, right? So maybe she's dream-sharing with Percy because they're related more directly than anyone else."

"You mean that maybe she's in stasis right now? Not actually dead?" Piper clarified.

"Exactly," he nodded. "It would explain how she's alive now."

"Then why don't I remember this?" Thalia replied skeptically. "Or anything from the 'tree-phase'?"

Leo snickered. "_Tree-phase_."

Thalia shot him an irritated look and Jason continued. "Well, maybe it's like a dream? Technically everyone dreams every night or whatever, yeah? We just don't remember them."

"That... would make sense, actually," Thalia nodded slowly. "Alright then."

**She looked familiar, but I wasn't sure why.**

**"Well?" she asked. "Are we going to stop him or not?"**

**I couldn't answer. I couldn't move.**

"Weird."

**The girl rolled her eyes. "Fine. Leave it to me and Aegis."**

"Has to be dream-sharing," Thalia declared. "No way he would've known about Aegis otherwise... unless you told him, Annabeth."

The blonde girl shook her head. "I didn't."

**She tapped her wrist and her silver chains transformed— flattening and expanding into a huge shield. It was silver and bronze, with the monstrous face of Medusa protruding from the centre. It looked like a death mask, as if the gorgon's real head had been pressed into the metal. I didn't know if that was true, or if the shield could really petrify me, but I looked away.**

Thalia smirked.

**Just being near it made me cold with fear. I got a feeling that in a real fight, the bearer of that shield would be almost impossible to beat. Any sane enemy would turn and run.**

Thalia chuckled faintly and leant back in her seat, her arms crossed over her chest as she tried not to look too smug.

**The girl drew her sword and advanced on the sarcophagus. The shadowy ghosts parted for her, scattering before the terrible aura of her shield.**

Nico shifted, feeling as though his pride were being insulted. He wasn't sure why, but when it came to the daughter of Zeus, he felt like he was in a constant competition with her.

**"No," I tried to warn her.**

**But she didn't listen.**

A number of people chuckled at that.

**She marched straight up to the sarcophagus and pushed aside the golden lid.**

"Ballsy," Apollo snickered.

**For a moment she stood there, gazing down at whatever was in the box. The coffin began to glow.**

**"No." The girl's voice trembled. "It can't be."**

The laughter diminished as unease took it's place.

**From the depths of the ocean, Kronos laughed so loudly the whole ship trembled.**

"Gods..." Piper whispered.

**"No!" The girl screamed as the sarcophagus engulfed her in a blast of a golden light.**

Zeus' form tensed and his eyes became dark.

**"Ah!" I sat bolt upright in my hammock.**

**Annabeth was shaking me. "Percy, you were having a nightmare.**

"I'd say," Apollo muttered.

**You need to get up."**

**"Wh—what is it?" I rubbed my eyes. "What's wrong?"**

"Apparently a few things," Hermes remarked dryly.

**"Land," she said grimly. "We're approaching the island of the Sirens."**

"Right... the beautiful singers that will suck your souls out your face."

"Those are dementors, Leo. Er... minus the, ah, beautiful singers bit."

"Oh..."

"But the Sirens will lead you to your death."

"Alright, close enough."

**I could barely make out the island ahead of us—just a dark spot in the mist.**

**"I want you to do me a favour," Annabeth said. "The Sirens ... we'll be in range of their singing soon."**

**I remembered stories about the Sirens. They sang so sweetly their voices enchanted sailors and lured them to their death.**

"Don't they drown them?" Piper wanted to know.

"No, I think those are mermaids," Thalia replied.

"They only do that if you offend them personally," Poseidon said with a hum. "Sirens, however, they'll eat you."

"Lovely," Hades drawled.

**"No problem," I assured her. "We can just stop up our ears. There's a big tub of candle wax below deck—"**

**"I want to hear them."**

Athena frowned. "That is not a wise decision, Annabeth."

"I know that now, Mother," Annabeth murmured, wishing now -more than ever- that Percy were here.

Aphrodite sat bolt upright at that, wishes of love were her forté. The fact that Annabeth was wishing so hard for Percy Jackson... her multicoloured eyes softened into a gentle sea-green. Oh, the poor girl. The ache in her heart must've been killing her.

**I blinked. "Why?"**

**"They say the Sirens sing the truth about what you desire. They tell you things about yourself you didn't even realize. That's what's so enchanting. If you survive ... you become wiser.**

"You should listen to your own advice, daughter," Athena told her gently. "More knowledge is not always a good thing."

**I want to hear them. How often will I get that chance?"**

**Coming from most people, this would've made no sense. But Annabeth being who she was—well, if she could struggle through Ancient Greek architecture books and enjoy documentaries on the History Channel, I guessed the Sirens would appeal to her, too.**

Annabeth looked away, her knees coming up to her chest as she wrapped her legs around them, Percy's sweater dwarfing her.

**She told me her plan. Reluctantly, I helped her get ready.**

**As soon as the rocky coastline of the island came into view, I ordered one of the ropes to wrap around Annabeth's waist, tying her to the foremast.**

Poseidon's mouth quirked, though it quickly dissolved with the remembrance of what Percy was doing.

**"Don't untie me," she said, "no matter what happens or how much I plead. I'll want to go straight over the edge and drown myself."**

**"Are you trying to tempt me?"**

**"Ha-ha."**

Thalia snorted with amusement and Annabeth shot her a mock-glare, though Thalia could tell that the younger girl's heart wasn't in it.

**I promised I'd keep her secure. Then I took two large wads of candle wax, kneaded them into earplugs, and stuffed my ears. Annabeth nodded sarcastically, letting me know the earplugs were a real fashion statement. I made a face at her and turned to the pilot's wheel.**

The demigods couldn't hold back their laughter at the mental image, and a number of gods snickered at they just pictured a younger Poseidon doing the same thing. The god of the sea merely laughed along good-naturedly.

**The silence was eerie. I couldn't hear anything but the rush of blood in my head.**

"That noise is always odd," Leo said, "it's why the Hephaestus kids always blast music in the forges."

"Yes, because we _all_ needed to listen to you guys sing along with Radioactive for the thousandth time," Nico drawled sarcastically.

"Hey!" Leo protested. "We don't _just_ listen to Imagine Dragons. There's also the Rolling Stones, Metallica, ACDC, Rise Against, Billy Talent, and My Chemical Romance! Would you prefer to listen to the Aphrodite cabin's crap?"

"Nooo~!" Piper groaned. "No more One Direction, or Katy Perry, or Demi Lovato! No more Justin Timberlake and no more Ke$ha!"

"See!" Leo crowed with a grin.

"Does every cabin listen a specific style of music?" Apollo asked curiously.

"More or less," Annabeth replied. "Some people even have their own theme song."

Thalia, Nico, and Jason groaned.

Apollo snickered. "I take it you three have your own?"

"And Percy," Nico told him. "It was done totally without our input."

"So what are they?" The god of music wished to know.

"Thunderstruck by ACDC," Thalia said dryly.

"Hells Bells, also by ACDC," Nico added.

"...Superman, Five for Fighting," Jason sighed.

"And Percy?"

"Sail by Awolnation," Annabeth remarked with a wry grin.

Apollo cackled and Dionysus rolled his eyes. "If we could get this all back on track? Tabitha Gold, if you will?"

"Right," Thalia drawled before beginning to read once again.

**As we approached the island, jagged rocks loomed out of the fog. I willed the _Queen Anne's Revenge _to skirt around them. If we sailed any closer, those rocks would shred our hull like blender blades.**

"One way of putting it," Poseidon muttered.

**I glanced back. At first, Annabeth seemed totally normal. Then she got a puzzled look on her face.**

"Not a good idea..." Apollo hummed.

**Her eyes widened. She strained against the ropes. She called my name—I could tell just from reading her lips. Her expression was clear: She had to get out. This was life or death. I had to let her out of the ropes _right now._**

Thalia winced, not envying the position Percy was currently in.

**She seemed so miserable it was hard not to cut her free.**

"I can imagine," Aphrodite remarked, "it must be killing him not to let her out."

**I forced myself to look away. I urged the _Queen Anne's Revenge _to go faster.**

"It's not going to go anywhere near fast enough," Nico muttered.

**I still couldn't see much of the island—just mist and rocks—but floating in the water were pieces of wood and fibreglass, the wreckage of old ships, even some flotation cushions from airplanes.**

"Brutal..." Leo winced.

**How could music cause so many lives to veer off course? **

Apollo spluttered for a moment, the insult to music taking him totally by surprise. Artemis shoved him halfheartedly to get him to stop.

**I mean, sure, there were some Top Forty songs that made me want to take a fiery nosedive,**

A couple of people snorted.

**but still ... What could the Sirens possibly sing about?**

"Humans are insatiably curious," Dionysus muttered, "it wouldn't be hard to put just the tiniest touch of charmspeak to make them go insane."

**For one dangerous moment, I understood Annabeth's curiosity. I was tempted to take out the earplugs, just to get a taste of the song. I could feel the Sirens' voices vibrating in the timbers of the ship, pulsing along with the roar of blood in my ears.**

Poseidon stiffened, his gaze narrowing.

**Annabeth was pleading with me. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She strained against the ropes, as if they were holding her back from everything she cared about.**

Annabeth winced for Percy's predicament.

**_How could you be so cruel? _She seemed to be asking me_. I thought you were my friend._**

**I glared at the misty island. I wanted to uncap my sword, but there was nothing to fight. How do you fight a song?**

"Poor boy..." Aphrodite cooed.

**I tried hard not to look at Annabeth. I managed it for about five minutes.**

**That was my big mistake.**

"How could looking back at her be a big mistake?" Leo looked confused.

**When I couldn't stand it any longer, I looked back and found... a heap of cut ropes. **

"Uh-oh," Apollo hummed, "someone was being crafty..."

**An empty mast. Annabeth's bronze knife lay on the deck. Somehow, she'd managed to wriggle it into her hand. I'd totally forgotten to disarm her.**

"In all fairness," Annabeth remarked, "so did I."

**I rushed to the side of the boat and saw her, paddling madly for the island, the waves carrying her straight toward the jagged rocks.**

Athena sucked in a sharp breath.

**I screamed her name, but if she heard me, it didn't do any good. She was entranced, swimming toward her death.**

Thalia bit out a curse.

**I looked back at the pilot's wheel and yelled, "Stay!"**

"Good boy," Leo snorted.

"Leo, hush!"

**Then I jumped over the side.**

**I sliced into the water and willed the currents to bend around me, making a jet stream that shot me forward.**

Athena's eyes narrowed in anticipation, silently thanking the fact that Percy was a son of Poseidon.

**I came to the surface and spotted Annabeth, but a wave caught her, sweeping her between two razor-sharp fangs of rock.**

**I had no choice. I plunged after her.**

"More worried for Annabeth as she _can't breathe_," Nico muttered.

**I dove under the wrecked hull of a yacht, wove through a collection of floating metal balls on chains that I realized afterwards were mines.**

Ares muttered something derogatory under his breath.

**I had to use all my power over water to avoid getting smashed against the rocks or tangled in the nets of barbed wire strung just below the surface.**

Poseidon looked grim.

**I jetted between the two rock fangs and found myself in a half-moon-shaped bay. The water was choked with more rocks and ship wreckage and floating mines. The beach was black volcanic sand.**

"Creepy," Jason muttered.

**I looked around desperately for Annabeth.**

**There she was.**

Athena blew out a forceful breath.

**Luckily or unluckily, she was a strong swimmer. **

"Let's go with luckily in this case," Thalia remarked.

**She'd made it past the mines and the rocks. She was almost to the black beach. Then the mist cleared and I saw them—the Sirens.**

Tension crackled through the air.

**Imagine a flock of vultures the size of people—with dirty black plumage, grey talons, and wrinkled pink necks.**

"Ooh," Leo winced, "sexy."

**Now imagine human heads on top of those necks, but the human heads keep changing. I couldn't hear them, but I could see they were singing. As their mouths moved, their faces morphed into people I knew—my mom, Poseidon, Grover, Tyson, Chiron. All the people I most wanted to see.**

Poseidon's hand twitched slightly, warmth blooming in his chest.

**They smiled reassuringly, inviting me forward. But no matter what shape they took, their mouths were greasy and caked with the remnants of old meals.**

"Gross," Nico grimaced.

**Like vultures, they'd been eating with their faces, and it didn't look like they'd been feasting on Monster Donuts.**

"No, I wouldn't think so," Dionysus drawled sarcastically.

**Annabeth swam toward them.**

**I knew I couldn't let her get out of the water. The sea was my only advantage. It had always protected me one way or another.**

Poseidon nodded approvingly.

**I propelled myself forward and grabbed her ankle. The moment I touched her, a shock went through my body, and I saw the Sirens the way Annabeth must've been seeing them.**

Athena's head tilted curiously.

**Three people sat on a picnic blanket in Central Park. A feast was spread out before them. I recognized Annabeth's dad from photos she'd shown me—an athletic-looking, sandy-haired guy in his forties. He was holding hands with a beautiful woman who looked a lot like Annabeth.**

Athena hid her wince masterfully, but she still looked sad.

**She was dressed casually—in blue jeans and a denim shirt and hiking boots—but something about the woman radiated power. I knew that I was looking at the goddess Athena.**

Said goddess bowed her head in recognition, trying to ignore the multitude of eyes that shot her way at the mention of her name.

**Next to them sat a young man... Luke.**

Annabeth curled further into herself as the eyes now shot to her, she kept her eyes averted from anyone else's.

**The whole scene glowed in a warm, buttery light. The three of them were talking and laughing, and when they saw Annabeth, their faces lit up with delight.**

Athena looked at her daughter and wavered, obviously pondering on whether or not she should go over to her.

**Annabeth's mom and dad held out their arms invitingly. Luke grinned and gestured for Annabeth to sit next to him—as if he'd never betrayed her, as if he were still her friend.**

Aphrodite gave Annabeth a sad look and Hermes swallowed forcefully.

**Behind the trees of Central Park, a city skyline rose. I caught my breath, because it was Manhattan, but _not _Manhattan.**

Athena's eyes closed, already knowing what was coming next.

**It had been totally rebuilt from dazzling white marble, bigger and grander than ever—with golden windows and rooftop gardens. It was better than New York. Better than Mount Olympus.**

Zeus twitched and Hera looked vaguely annoyed.

**I knew immediately that Annabeth had designed it all.**

"Damn," Leo whistled.

**She was the architect for a whole new world. She had reunited her parents. She had saved Luke. She had done everything she'd ever wanted.**

Annabeth tugged the blue sweater around her body, like she was attempting to shield herself from everyone else.

**I blinked hard. When I opened my eyes, all I saw were the Sirens—ragged vultures with human faces, ready to feed on another victim.**

"Right," Leo grimaced.

**I pulled Annabeth back into the surf. I couldn't hear her, but I could tell she was screaming. She kicked me in the face,**

Annabeth winced apologetically.

**but I held on.**

**I willed the currents to carry us out into the bay. Annabeth pummelled and kicked me, making it hard to concentrate. She thrashed so much we almost collided with a floating mine. I didn't know what to do. I'd never get back to the ship alive if she kept fighting.**

"Is it bad that I'm as worried as I am impressed?" Apollo joked weakly.

**We went under and Annabeth stopped struggling. Her expression became confused. Then our heads broke the surface and she started to fight again.**

"Alright... what?"

**The water! Sound didn't travel well underwater.**

"Ohhhhhh."

"Leo, hush."

**If I could submerge her long enough, I could break the spell of the music. Of course, Annabeth wouldn't be able to breathe, but at the moment, that seemed like a minor problem.**

Athena scowled but even Annabeth smiled at that.

**I grabbed her around the waist and ordered the waves to push us down. We shot into the depths—ten feet, twenty feet. I knew I had to be careful because I could withstand a lot more pressure than Annabeth.**

"Breathing is the bigger issue, I'd think," Nico snorted.

"You've said that before," Thalia said dryly.

"Shut up," he gave her a mock-glare.

**She fought and struggled for breath as bubbles rose around us.**

_**Bubbles.**_

Poseidon grinned at that.

**I was desperate. I had to keep Annabeth alive. I imagined all the bubbles in the sea—always churning, rising. I imagined them coming together, being pulled toward me. The sea obeyed.**

Athena breathed out slowly.

**There was a flurry of white, a tickling sensation all around me, and when my vision cleared, Annabeth and I had a huge bubble of air around us. Only our legs stuck into the water.**

"Jealous," Leo grinned faintly.

**She gasped and coughed. Her whole body shuddered, but when she looked at me, I knew the spell had been broken.**

Annabeth sighed, hoping that this next bit would be left out but knowing that it wasn't going to be.

**She started to sob—I mean horrible, heartbroken sobbing. She put her head on my shoulder and I held her.**

Aphrodite's gave softened at that, feeling the immense love emanating from Annabeth at Percy's actions.

**Fish gathered to look at us—a school of barracudas, some curious marlins.**

Poseidon let out a faint chuckle as he shook his head.

**_Scram! _I told them.**

**They swam off, but I could tell they went reluctantly. I swear I understood their intentions. They were about to start rumours flying around the sea about the son of Poseidon and some girl at the bottom of Siren Bay.**

Annabeth flushed. "He never told me that!"

"I think there were other issues to deal with," Thalia pointed out quietly.

**"I'll get us back to the ship," I told her. "It's okay. Just hang on."**

**Annabeth nodded to let me know she was better now, then she murmured something I couldn't hear because of the wax in my ears.**

"What was it?" Thalia asked her gently.

"Something like a 'thank you', I think," Annabeth muttered.

**I made the current steer our weird little air submarine through the rocks and barbed wire and back toward the hull of the _Queen Anne's Revenge, _which was maintaining a slow and steady course away from the island.**

"Smart," Hephaestus grunted.

**We stayed underwater, following the ship, until I judged we had moved out of earshot of the Sirens. Then I surfaced and our air bubble popped.**

**I ordered a rope ladder to drop over the side of the ship,**

"That's incredibly convenient." Dionysus commented idly.

**and we climbed aboard.**

**I kept my earplugs in, just to be sure. **

**We sailed until the island was completely out of sight. Annabeth sat huddled in a blanket on the forward deck. Finally she looked up, dazed and sad, and mouthed, _safe._**

"Good," Piper said uneasily, "that island was... way too dangerous."

"I agree," Annabeth muttered.

**I took out the earplugs. No singing. The afternoon was quiet except for the sound of the waves against the hull. The fog had burned away to a blue sky, as if the island of the Sirens had never existed.**

"I wish," Jason said, shaking his head.

**"You okay?" I asked. The moment I said it, I realized how lame that sounded. Of course she wasn't okay.**

Annabeth smiled sadly, appreciative of the gesture.

**"I didn't realize," she murmured.**

**"What?"**

**Her eyes were the same colour as the mist over the Sirens' island. "How powerful the temptation would be."**

Athena sighed and didn't say anything.

**I didn't want to admit that I'd seen what the Sirens had promised her. I felt like a trespasser. But I figured I owed it to Annabeth.**

"Noble of him," Hestia commented gently.

**"I saw the way you rebuilt Manhattan," I told her. "And Luke and your parents."**

"Tactful," Thalia shook her head.

**She blushed. "You saw that?"**

**"What Luke told you back on the _Princess Andromeda, _about starting the world from scratch... that really got to you, huh?"**

**She pulled her blanket around her. "My fatal flaw. That's what the Sirens showed me. My fatal flaw is hubris."**

The gods all looked a touch wary at that; hubris had never been a kind flaw to them.

**I blinked. "That brown stuff they spread on veggie sandwiches?"**

A number of people scoffed.

**She rolled her eyes. "No, Seaweed Brain. That's _hummus. _Hubris is worse."**

**"What could be worse than hummus?"**

Apollo sniggered.

**"Hubris means deadly pride, Percy. Thinking you can do things better than anyone else ... even the gods."**

Annabeth flushed at the looks she was getting.

**"You feel that way?"**

**She looked down. "Don't you ever feel like, what if the world really _is _messed up? What if we _could _do it all over again from scratch? No more war. Nobody homeless. No more summer reading homework."**

A number of people, mostly the demigods, quieted at that.

**"I'm listening."**

**"I mean, the West represents a lot of the best things mankind ever did—that's why the fire is still burning. That's why Olympus is still around.**

Dionysus grimaced.

**But sometimes you just see the bad stuff, you know? And you start thinking the way Luke does: 'If I could tear this all down, I would do it better.'**

"Which is why it's hard to see Luke as your enemy," Piper said softly, looking at Annabeth. "You see a lot of yourself in him."

Annabeth didn't respond, but it was obvious what her answer was.

**Don't you ever feel that way? Like _you _could do a better job if you ran the world?"**

**"Um... no. Me running the world would kind of be a nightmare."**

Poseidon smiled faintly and shook his head, proud of his son's humility.

**"Then you're lucky. Hubris isn't your fatal flaw."**

**"What is?"**

"I can guess," Athena murmured.

**"I don't know, Percy, but every hero has one. If you don't find it and learn to control it... well, they don't call it 'fatal' for nothing."**

The demigods exchanged uneasy looks. Nico just flinched and looked away.

**I thought about that. It didn't exactly cheer me up.**

**I also noticed Annabeth hadn't said much about the _personal _things she would change—like getting her parents back together, or saving Luke. I understood.**

Annabeth blinked.

**I didn't want to admit how many times I'd dreamed of getting my own parents back together.**

"I think every demigod feels thusly," Athena remarked after seeing Poseidon's own grimace. "Tis a tempting thought."

**I pictured my mom, alone in our little apartment on the Upper East Side. I tried to remember the smell of her blue waffles in the kitchen. It seemed so far away.**

"It can feel that way sometimes," Annabeth sighed. "Sally must feel it worse, though."

**"So was it worth it?" I asked Annabeth. "Do you feel... wiser?"**

**She gazed into the distance. "I'm not sure. But we _have _to save the camp. If we don't stop Luke..."**

The gods' expressions darkened.

**She didn't need to finish. If Luke's way of thinking could even tempt Annabeth, there was no telling how many other half-bloods might join him.**

"Like, all of the unclaimed," Thalia scoffed, shaking her head.

**I thought about my dream of the girl and the golden sarcophagus. I wasn't sure what it meant, but I got the feeling I was missing something. Something terrible that Kronos was planning. What had the girl seen when she opened that coffin lid?**

Annabeth bit her lip and shook her head as Thalia frowned in thought.

**Suddenly Annabeth's eyes widened. "Percy."**

"What now?" Leo snorted.

**I turned.**

**Up ahead was another blotch of land—a saddle-shaped island with forested hills and white beaches and green meadows—just like I'd seen in my dreams.**

"Here we go," Jason murmured.

**My nautical senses confirmed it. 30 degrees, 31 minutes north, 75 degrees, 12 minutes west.**

**We had reached the home of the Cyclops.**

"Well damn," Apollo whistled.

"I'll take it," Aphrodite hummed. "Chapter Fourteen: We Meet the Sheep of Doom."

* * *

Fun fact: it's been exactly a fortnight (thirteen days or two weeks) since I last posted a chapter.

So children, I have my exams and my graduation from high school in a few short weeks. So I'll do my best to update, but don't expect much. I'm going to be über swamped with final projects, essays, studying, exams, and freaking out because university. I did, however, get in to the University of Toronto, so I'm excited for that. But as I'm jobless, I have no way of paying for it. That's a bit of a problem, yeah?

Other fact: I am on tumblr! Forewarning, I'm a fandom blogger who reblogs about twenty times more than she blogs. I also reblog Superwholock, Hannibal, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and the Avengers and whatever else I feel like it (but mostly Superwholock). If you'd like to follow me, I'm known as thelasttactician. My blog, I think, also looks like crap as I don't even know what to do about that.

But yeah, hope you enjoyed this chapter!

~LastTruth


	42. Chapter 42

**We Meet the Sheep of Doom!**

"DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!"

"Leo!"

**When you think "monster island," you think craggy rocks and bones scattered on the beach like the island of the Sirens.**

"Or something like the gateway guardians," Piper muttered, shuddering slightly.

**The Cyclops's island was nothing like that. I mean, okay, it had a rope bridge across a chasm, which was not a good sign.**

"Just be Indiana Jones if you have to cross it," Leo cackled. "Just hold on tight and BAM! cut the line."

"Can you actually do that, though?" Piper asked skeptically. "I don't know, I think we need some Mythbusters to check this out."

"Who are the-"

Thalia snorted. "I'll explain later, Nico. Don't bother."

"O-kay," the boy shook his head.

"He's very Captain America right now, isn't he?" Leo said to Piper, a teasing look on his face.

"From his movie or Avengers?"

"Avengers, duh."

Piper looked at him before nodding. "True."

**You might as well put up a billboard that said, SOMETHING EVIL LIVES HERE.**

"Every Villain is Lemons."

"Explains why you need to make lemonade so much in life."

"Booyeah, Piper!"

**But except for that, the place looked like a Caribbean postcard. It had green fields and tropical fruit trees and white beaches.**

Piper's eyes became far away, reminiscing a vacation she took with her father.

**As we sailed toward the shore, Annabeth breathed in the sweet air. "The Fleece," she said.**

"It's that potent?" Jason asked curiously.

"You've seen it," Annabeth pointed out. "It's guarding the borders at camp."

"Well, yes, but..." Jason hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "Never mind, you're right."

**I nodded. I couldn't see the Fleece yet, but I could feel its power. I could believe it would heal anything, even Thalia's poisoned tree.**

Annabeth and Thalia exchanged looks.

**"If we take it away, will the island die?"**

**Annabeth shook her head. "It'll fade. Go back to what it would be normally, whatever that is."**

"So... it's almost like what happens to Percy when he's in water?" Leo surmised.

"More or less."

**I felt a little guilty about ruining this paradise, but I reminded myself we had no choice.**

Demeter looked approving, Dionysus looked mildly surprised, and Hestia smiled.

**Camp Half-Blood was in trouble. And Tyson... Tyson would still be with us if it wasn't for this quest.**

A number of people looked grim at the reminder.

**In the meadow at the base of the ravine, several dozen sheep were milling around. They looked peaceful enough, but they were huge—the size of hippos. **

"Well, now we can see how they might kill someone," Jason remarked dryly.

**Just past them was a path that led up into the hills. At the top of the path, near the edge of the canyon, was the massive oak tree I'd seen in my dreams. Something gold glittered in its branches.**

"Easy much?" Apollo sniggered.

**"This is too easy," I said. "We could just hike up there and take it?"**

**Annabeth's eyes narrowed. "There's supposed be a guardian. A dragon or…"**

"Sheep," Thalia said bluntly. "It's going to be a sheep."

"_'Baa baa black sheep have you any wool~'_" Leo snorted.

"Well doesn't that rhyme just sound macabre now?" Nico scoffed.

"That was the intent," Leo replied cheerfully.

**That's when a deer emerged from the bushes. It trotted into the meadow, probably looking for grass to eat, when the sheep all bleated at once and rushed the animal. It happened so fast that the deer stumbled and was lost in a sea of wool and trampling hooves. Grass and tufts of fur flew into the air. A second later the sheep all moved away, back to their regular peaceful wanderings. Where the deer had been was a pile of clean white bones.**

"AH!" Leo exclaimed, falling back slightly.

"Convenient," Ares scoffed.

"Well, that escalated quickly," Hermes remarked dryly.

**Annabeth and I exchanged looks.**

**"They're like piranhas," she said.**

"Accurate," Poseidon chuckled.

**"Piranhas with wool.**

The sea god grinned again and shook his head.

**How will we—"**

**"Percy!" Annabeth gasped, grabbing my arm. "Look."**

**She pointed down the beach, to just below the sheep meadow, where a small boat had been run aground... the other lifeboat from the CSS _Birmingham._**

Ares stiffened, his eyes narrowing.

**We decided there was no way we could get past the man-eating sheep. Annabeth wanted to sneak up the path invisibly and grab the Fleece,**

Athena stilled, already spotting a number of things that could wrong with such a plan.

**but in the end I convinced her that something would go wrong. **

Athena let out a slow breath as her shoulders dropped.

**The sheep would smell her. Another guardian would appear. Something. And if that happened, I'd be too far away to help.**

Annabeth smiled faintly at Percy's willingness to jump in with her.

**Besides, our first job was to find Grover and whoever had come ashore in that lifeboat—assuming they'd gotten past the sheep. I was too nervous to say what I was secretly hoping... that Tyson might still be alive.**

Poseidon's eyes slid closed and he exhaled softly, his heart going out for his son.

**We moored the _Queen Anne's Revenge _on the back side of the island where the cliffs rose straight up a good two hundred feet. I figured the ship was less likely to be seen there.**

"A fair assessment," Athena nodded in agreement.

**The cliffs looked climbable, barely—about as difficult as the lava wall back at camp.**

"Not sure if that's good or bad," Jason remarked slowly. "On the one hand it means it's climbable, but on the other... well, I guess it's a question of how long they can keep going."

**At least it was free of sheep. I hoped that Polyphemus did not also keep carnivorous mountain goats.**

"That would be something, wouldn't it?" Dionysus snorted, looking morbidly amused.

**We rowed a lifeboat to the edge of the rocks and made our way up, very slowly. Annabeth went first because she was the better climber.**

Annabeth grimaced, she may be a good climber, but this cliff was _painful_.

**We only came close to dying six or seven times, which I thought was pretty good.**

A number of people snorted at that.

**Once, I lost my grip and I found myself dangling by one hand from a ledge fifty feet above the rocky surf.**

Poseidon grimaced.

**But I found another handhold and kept climbing. A minute later Annabeth hit a slippery patch of moss and her foot slipped. Fortunately, she found some thing else to put it against. Unfortunately, that something was my face.**

There was more than a few that burst into laughter at that mention.

**"Sorry," she murmured.**

**"S'okay," I grunted, though I'd never really wanted to know what Annabeth's sneaker tasted like.**

"I'd call you nuts if you had, seaweed brain," Annabeth commented dryly.

**Finally, when my fingers felt like molten lead and my arm muscles were shaking from exhaustion, we hauled our selves over the top of the cliff and collapsed.**

"Ouch," Jason winced sympathetically.

**"Ugh," I said.**

**"Ouch," moaned Annabeth.**

**"Garrr!" bellowed another voice_._**

"No," Leo said with mock-thoughtfulness, "that's not how it's supposed to go!"

**If I hadn't been so tired, I would've leaped another two hundred feet.**

The room snorted.

**I whirled around, but I couldn't see who'd spoken. Annabeth clamped her hand over my mouth. She pointed. The ledge we were sitting on was narrower than I'd realized. It dropped off on the opposite side, and that's where the voice was coming from—right below us.**

"Lucky," Ares scoffed, "punks'd be dead otherwise."

**"You're a feisty one!" the deep voice bellowed.**

**"Challenge me!" Clarisse's voice, no doubt about it.**

A glimmer of pride slipped into Ares' eyes at the mention of his daughter.

**"Give me back my sword and I'll fight you!"**

**The monster roared with laughter.**

"Yeah, that bit's always depressing," Leo snorted.

**Annabeth and I crept to the edge. We were right above the entrance of the Cyclops's cave. Below us stood Polyphemus and Grover, still in his wedding dress.**

Apollo hid his snort with a cough.

**Clarisse was tied up, hanging upside down over a pot of boiling water.**

Ares rolled his eyes.

**I was half hoping to see Tyson down there, too. Even if he'd been in danger, at least I would've known he was alive.**

"I would not get my hopes up, Perseus," Athena murmured.

**But there was no sign of him.**

**"Hmm," Polyphemus pondered. "Eat loudmouth girl**

The demigods all choked on their laughter, hastily covering up when Ares glared at them.

**now or wait for wedding feast? What does my bride think?"**

**He turned to Grover, who backed up and almost tripped over his completed bridal train. "Oh, um, I'm not hungry right now, dear. Perhaps—"**

**"Did you say _bride?"_**

"Do you hear that?" Jason deadpanned. "That's the sound of Grover getting caught."

**Clarisse demanded. "Who— Grover?"**

**Next to me, Annabeth muttered, "Shut up. She has to shut up."**

"This is what one has come to expect from a child of Ares unfortunately," Athena sighed.

"Shut it," Ares glared at her, Athena just cocked a brow.

**Polyphemus glowered. "What 'Grover'?"**

**"The satyr!" Clarisse yelled.**

**"Oh!" Grover yelped. "The poor thing's brain is boiling from that hot water. Pull her down, dear!"**

"Poor guy," Apollo snorted, shaking his head.

**Polyphemus's eyelids narrowed over his baleful milky eye, as if he were trying to see Clarisse more clearly.**

**The Cyclops was an even more horrible sight than he had been in my dreams.**

"Damn..." Leo whistled.

**Partly because his rancid smell was now up close and personal.**

Aphrodite wrinkled her nose in distaste.

**Partly because he was dressed in his wedding outfit—a crude kilt and shoulder-wrap, stitched together from baby-blue tuxedos, as if the he'd skinned an entire wedding party.**

"Probably," Artemis commented simply.

**"What satyr?" asked Polyphemus. "Satyrs are good eating. You bring me a satyr?"**

**"No, you big idiot!" bellowed Clarisse. _"That _satyr! Grover! The one in the wedding **

**dress!"**

"Well... shit."

**I wanted to wring Clarisse's neck, but it was too late.**

Dionysus rolled his eyes.

**All I could do was watch as Polyphemus turned and ripped off Grover's wedding veil—revealing his curly hair, his scruffy adolescent beard, his tiny horns.**

Apollo snorted.

**Polyphemus breathed heavily, trying to contain his anger. "I don't see very well," he growled. "Not since many years ago when the other hero stabbed me in eye.**

Athena chuckled faintly at the memory.

**But YOU'RE—NO—LADY—CYCLOPS!"**

"Nice deduction, Sherlock," Leo cackled.

**The Cyclops grabbed Grover's dress and tore it away. Underneath, the old Grover reappeared in his jeans and T-shirt.**

"Well, at least we don't have to keep imagining Grover in a wedding dress," Thalia snorted.

**He yelped and ducked as the monster swiped over his head.**

**"Stop!" Grover pleaded. "Don't eat me raw! I—I have a good recipe!"**

"If this works..." Apollo grinned broadly.

"I'd be incredibly impressed if it did," Hermes sniggered.

**I reached for my sword, but Annabeth hissed, "Wait!".**

**Polyphemus was hesitating, a boulder in his hand, ready to smash his would-be bride. "Recipe?" he asked Grover.**

Hermes and Apollo both laughed at that.

**"Oh y-yes! You don't want to eat me raw. You'll get E-Coli and botulism and all sorts of horrible things. I'll taste much better grilled over a slow fire. With mango chutney! You could go get some mangoes right now, down there in the woods. I'll just wait here."**

"The satyr actually knows how to cook," Dionysus looked vaguely interested.

**The monster pondered this. My heart hammered against my ribs. I figured I'd die if I charged. But I couldn't let the monster kill Grover.**

Poseidon stiffened, the lack of regard his son had for his own life was both incredibly frustrating and incredibly frightening.

**"Grilled satyr with mango chutney," Polyphemus mused. He looked back at Clarisse, still hanging over the pot of boiling water. "You a satyr, too?"**

**"No, you overgrown pile of dung!" she yelled. "I'm a girl!**

A number of people snorted.

**The daughter of Ares! Now untie me so I can rip your arms off!"**

Ares smirked approvingly.

**"Rip my arms off," Polyphemus repeated.**

**"And stuff them down your throat!"**

Ares' smirk widened.

**"You got spunk."**

**"Let me down!"**

**Polyphemus snatched up Grover as if he were a wayward puppy. "Have to graze sheep now. Wedding postponed until tonight.**

"But... who's the bride?" Leo frowned.

**Then we'll eat satyr for the main course!"**

**"But... you're still getting married?" Grover sounded hurt.**

Apollo choked on a laugh, his hand flying to his mouth in an attempt to quiet himself.

**"Who's the bride?"**

**Polyphemus looked toward the boiling pot.**

**Clarisse made a strangled sound. "Oh, no! You can't be serious. I'm not—"**

Aphrodite sniffed derisively, she didn't like the idea of a loveless marriage.

**Before Annabeth or I could do anything, Polyphemus plucked her off the rope like she was a ripe apple, and tossed her and Grover deep into the cave. "Make yourself comfortable! I come back at sundown for big event!"**

"Well, crap," Leo snorted.

**Then the Cyclops whistled, and a mixed flock of goats and sheep—smaller than the man-eaters—flooded out of the cave and past their master. As they went to pasture, Polyphemus patted some on the back and called them by name—Beltbuster, Tammany, Lockhart, etc.**

"Alright, that's a little weird," Jason grimaced.

"Just a bit," Thalia scoffed.

**When the last sheep had waddled out, Polyphemus rolled a boulder in front of the doorway as easily as I would close a refrigerator door, shutting off the sound of Clarisse and Grover screaming inside.**

Ares scowled slightly.

**"Mangoes," Polyphemus grumbled to himself. "What are mangoes?"**

The room snorted.

**He strolled off down the mountain in his baby-blue groom's outfit, leaving us alone with a pot of boiling water and a six-ton boulder. We tried for what seemed like hours, but it was no good. The boulder wouldn't move. **

"Get Superman here to do it," Leo snickered, pointing at Jason.

"I can fly and shooting lightning at you," Jason deadpanned. "Super strength, however, is not within my skill range."

**We yelled into the cracks, tapped on the rock, did everything we could think of to get a signal to Grover, but if he heard us, we couldn't tell.**

"Then he probably can't hear you," Nico said simply.

**Even if by some miracle we managed to kill Polyphemus, it wouldn't do us any good. Grover and Clarisse would die inside that sealed cave. The only way to move the rock was to have the Cyclops do it.**

"Some sort of trick, then," Hermes hummed. "That ought to do it. Or some slick timing and fast moves."

**In total frustration, I stabbed Riptide against the boulder. Sparks flew, but nothing else happened. A large rock is not the kind of enemy you can fight with a magic sword.**

"Well duh," Dionysus muttered into his diet coke.

**Annabeth and I sat on the ridge in despair and watched the distant baby-blue shape of the Cyclops as he moved among his flocks. He had wisely divided his regular animals from his man-eating sheep, putting each group on either side of the huge crevice that divided the island.**

Thalia shuddered.

**The only way across was the rope bridge, and the planks were much too far apart for sheep hooves.**

"Smart," Piper muttered. "Although, I wonder if that means it's more difficult to get across for humans."

**We watched as Polyphemus visited his carnivorous flock on the far side. Unfortunately, they didn't eat him.**

"Could you imagine?" Leo snorted. "That would've solved everything."

"If they ate him, how would Percy and Annabeth get Grover and Clarisse out of the cave?" Nico asked dryly.

"Ah... good point."

**In fact, they didn't seem to bother him at all. He fed them chunks of mystery meat from a great wicker basket, which only reinforced the feelings I'd been having since Circe turned me into a guinea pig—that maybe it was time I joined Grover and became a vegetarian.**

"Well, that partially happened," Annabeth remarked dryly. "I mean, Percy doesn't eat fish."

Poseidon grimaced. "My dear girl, I assure you that you wouldn't either if you could hear them complaining about it. Whilst my eldest son may partake in the occasional fish, I have long since decided that it would be easier on the politics if I were to not."

"Who's your eldest son?" Leo asked him curiously.

Poseidon's mouth quirked. "Triton, my eldest son is Triton."

"Like... the _Little Mermaid_ Triton?"

"Yes, Leo," Piper snorted. "_That_ Triton."

"Cool!"

**"Trickery," Annabeth decided. "We can't beat him by force, so we'll have to use trickery."**

Hermes nodded approvingly.

**"Okay," I said. "What trick?'**

**"I haven't figured that part out yet."**

**"Great."**

"Indeed," Thalia remarked dryly.

**"Polyphemus will have to move the rock to let the sheep inside."**

**"At sunset," I said. "Which is when he'll marry Clarisse and have Grover for dinner. I'm not sure which is grosser."**

A couple of people sniggered.

**"I could get inside," she said, "Invisibly."**

**"What about me?"**

**"The sheep," Annabeth mused. She gave me one of those sly looks that always made me wary. "How much do you like sheep?"**

"Alright, that can be misconstrued horribly," Leo snickered until Piper smacked him for the crass comment.

**"Just don't let go!" Annabeth said, standing invisibly some where off to my right. That was easy for her to say. She wasn't hanging upside down from the belly of a sheep.**

Thalia and Nico looked like they were fighting not to burst into hysterical laughter.

**Now, I'll admit it wasn't as hard as I'd thought. I'd crawled under a car before to change my mom's oil, and this wasn't too different.**

"I didn't know he even knew how to do that," Annabeth hummed thoughtfully.

**The sheep didn't care. Even the Cyclops's smallest sheep were big enough to support my weight, and they had thick wool.**

"Must be comfortable," Jason said dryly.

**I just twirled the stuff into handles for my hands, hooked my feet against the sheep's thigh bones, and presto—I felt like a baby wallaby,**

"Wallaby's are adorable," Piper remarked with a smile.

"I want a pet Wallaby!" Leo pouted. "I shall name him Winston and he shall be Winston the Wallaby."

"That's nice, Leo," Nico scoffed.

**riding around against the sheep's chest, trying to keep the wool out of my mouth and my nose.**

**In case you're wondering,**

"I'm not," Thalia remarked wryly.

**the underside of a sheep doesn't smell that great.**

"I was," Nico snickered, dodging the smack that came his way.

**Imagine a winter sweater that's been dragged through the mud and left in the laundry hamper for a week. Something like that.**

"Disgusting," Aphrodite sniffed.

**The sun was going down. No sooner was I in position than the Cyclops roared, "Oy! Goaties! Sheepies!" The flock dutifully began trudging back up the slopes toward the cave.**

**"This is it!" Annabeth whispered. "I'll be close by. Don't worry."**

"I'm pretty sure 'don't worry' is code for 'don't panic too loudly'," Apollo remarked.

**I made a silent promise to the gods that if we survived this, I'd tell Annabeth she was a genius. The frightening thing was, I knew the gods would hold me to it.**

Pretty much every god in the room let out some form of amusement at that, as the demigods just grinned broadly.

**My sheep taxi started plodding up the hill. After a hundred yards, my hands and feet started to hurt from holding on.**

"Sucks," Leo said, his focus riveted on something in his hands.

**I gripped the sheep's wool more tightly, and the animal made a grumbling sound. I didn't blame it. I wouldn't want anybody rock-climbing in my hair either.**

"Very Stuart Little," Piper remarked dryly.

"I was thinking more George Shrinks, but far enough," Leo winked at her.

**But if I didn't hold on, I was sure I'd fall off right there in front of the monster.**

"What scares me is that Percy _would_ have that kind of luck too," Thalia snorted, shaking her head.

**"Hasenpfeffer!" the Cyclops said, patting one of the sheep in front of me. "Einstein! Widget—eh there, Widget!"**

"Weird guy..." Apollo snorted.

**Polyphemus patted my sheep and nearly knocked me to the ground. "Putting on some extra mutton there?"**

**_Uh-oh, _I thought. _Here it comes._**

**But Polyphemus just laughed and swatted the sheep's rear end, propelling us forward.**

Annabeth giggled suddenly in remembrance, clapping her hands over her mouth as everyone turned to look at her. Athena smiled faintly, pleased with hearing her daughter so happy.

**"Go on, fatty! Soon Polyphemus will eat you for breakfast!"**

"I don't think I could ever _eat_ something I've named," Piper grimaced, looking a little sick.

"Naming something forms a bond, an attachment. An acknowledgement that it's a _being_, not merely a thing." Aphrodite hummed lightly, tugging a comb through her hair.

**And just like that, I was in the cave. I could see the last of the sheep coming inside. If Annabeth didn't pull off her distraction soon... The Cyclops was about to roll the stone back into place, when from somewhere outside Annabeth shouted, "Hello, ugly!"**

"Nice, Annabeth," Leo sniggered.

"I do try," the blonde replied dryly.

**Polyphemus stiffened. "Who said that?"**

**"Nobody!" Annabeth yelled.**

Athena chuckled at that, her grey eyes sparkling in remebrance.

**That got exactly the reaction she'd been hoping for. The monster's face turned red with rage.**

"Ohhh, right!" Leo grinned. "The story of Odysseus!"

"Well spotted, Leo," Piper teased.

"Thank you," Leo sniffed dramatically, wiping a tear from his eye, "Momma's gonna be so proud!"

Jason and Nico snorted as Piper grinned and shook her head.

**"Nobody!" Polyphemus yelled back. "I remember you!"**

**"You're too stupid to remember anybody," Annabeth taunted. "Much less Nobody."**

"Do you think Polyphemus had a split second of confusion in which he wondered who 'Anybody' is?" Apollo mused.

"Yes," Artemis deadpanned. "Now hush, I wish to hear the story."

**I hoped to the gods she was already moving when she said that, because Polyphemus bellowed furiously, grabbed the nearest boulder (which happened to be his front door) and threw it toward the sound of Annabeth's voice. I heard the rock smash into a thousand fragments.**

"That's one way to solve a problem," Hades rolled his eyes.

"At least it's solved, so we don't have to worry about anyone getting trapped in a cave," Demeter remarked with a scoff.

"I wasn't going to worry either way," Dionysus muttered.

**For a terrible moment, there was silence. Then Annabeth shouted, "You haven't learned to throw any better, either!"**

"Way to freak him out, Annabeth," Thalia snickered, nudging her friend lightly. Annabeth just grinned.

**Polyphemus howled. "Come here! Let me kill you, Nobody!"**

**"You can't kill Nobody, you stupid oaf,"**

"Ba dum _tss_."

"Thanks for that, Leo."

"Anytime, Superman."

**she taunted. "Come find me!"**

**Polyphemus barrelled down the hill toward her voice.**

**Now, the "Nobody" thing wouldn't have made sense to anybody, but Annabeth had explained to me that it was the name Odysseus had used to trick Polyphemus centuries ago, right before he poked the Cyclops's eye out with a large hot stick.**

Athena smiled again, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

**Annabeth had figured Polyphemus would still have a grudge about that name, and she was right. In his frenzy to find his old enemy, he forgot about resealing the cave entrance. Apparently, he didn't even stop to consider that Annabeth's voice was female, whereas the first Nobody had been male. On the other hand, he'd wanted to marry Grover, so he couldn't have been all that bright about the whole male/female thing.**

"All very good points," Hestia laughed quietly. "Polyphemus has not yet seemed to grasp the concept of a lie."

"Which is a pretty big fail, considering how old he is," Leo sniggered.

**I just hoped Annabeth could stay alive and keep distracting him long enough for me to find Grover and Clarisse. I dropped off my ride, patted Widget on the head, and apologized.**

A number of people snorted and Poseidon chuckled.

**I searched the main room, but there was no sign of Grover or Clarisse. I pushed through the crowd of sheep and goats toward the back of the cave.**

**Even though I'd dreamed about this place, I had a hard time finding my way through the maze.**

"You would've had a hard time anyways, Seaweed brain," Thalia snickered teasingly.

**I ran down corridors littered with bones, past rooms full of sheepskin rugs and life-size cement sheep that I recognized as the work of Medusa.**

Annabeth huffed at the name.

**There were collections of sheep T-shirts; large tubs of lanolin cream; and wooly coats, socks, and hats with ram's horns. **

**Finally, I found the spinning room, where Grover was huddled in the corner, trying to cut Clarisse's bonds with a pair of safety scissors.**

"I don't think that's going to work very well," Jason snorted.

"False hope is better than no hope at all," Hades intoned.

**"It's no good," Clarisse said. "This rope is like iron!"**

**"Just a few more minutes!"**

**"Grover," she cried, exasperated. "You've been working at it for hours!"**

"False hope indeed..." Nico muttered.

**And then they saw me.**

**_"Percy?" _Clarisse said. "You're supposed to be blown up!"**

"Nice greeting," Hermes snorted.

**"Good to see you, too. Now hold still while I—"**

**"Perrrrrcy!" Grover bleated and tackled me with a goat-hug. "You heard me! You came!"**

"He talked to him, how did he think Percy wouldn't come?" Jason asked with a half-grin, shaking his head.

**"Yeah, buddy," I said. "Of course I came."**

**"Where's Annabeth?"**

**"Outside," I said. "But there's no time to talk. Clarisse, hold still."**

**I uncapped Riptide and sliced off her ropes. She stood stiffly, rubbing her wrists. She glared at me for a moment, then looked at the ground and mumbled, "Thanks."**

Ares grimaced, hating the fact that his kid was indebted to the punk.

**"You're welcome," I said. "Now, was anyone else on board your lifeboat?"**

**Clarisse looked surprised. "No. Just me.**

Most everyone winced at that.

**Everybody else aboard the _Birmingham..._ well, I didn't even know you guys made it out."**

**I looked down, trying not to believe that my last hope of seeing Tyson alive had just been crushed.**

"Ouch..." Jason grimaced sympathetically.

Poseidon merely took it with a stony look.

**"Okay. Come on, then. We have to help—"**

**An explosion echoed through the cave, followed by a scream that told me we might be too late. It was Annabeth crying out in fear.**

Athena frowned, stiffening somewhat.

"There's the chapter, my loves," Aphrodite hummed.

"I shall read next," Athena's voice was tight. "Chapter fifteen: Nobody Gets the Fleece."

* * *

Sundays seem to be my day, don't you think?

This is my last full week before my final exams! And yes, to those who asked, school in Canada ends in late June and we pick up again in early September. But I'm going to University next year, finally!

This chapter... was more of a funny chapter, wasn't it? And before anyone asks, I'm _**not**_going to be updating for a while. I need to focus on my course work and won't be able to give you guys quality stuff until afterwards. To make it up to you, however, expect a couple of chapters dumped on you on June 29th. I'll give you at least two chapters to chew on.

Sorry about this guys, but I really do need to focus.

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	43. Chapter 43

**Nobody gets the Fleece**

"Is that a pun?"

"No, Jason, it's a puppy."

"Leo?"

"Shutting up."

**"I got Nobody!" Polyphemus gloated.**

Athena's jaw tightened.

**We crept to the cave entrance and saw the Cyclops, grinning wickedly, holding up empty air. The monster shook his fist, and a baseball cap fluttered to the ground. There was Annabeth, hanging upside down by her legs.**

"Not pleasant," Piper winced.

**"Hah!" the Cyclops said. "Nasty invisible girl! Already got feisty one for wife. Means you gotta be grilled with mango chutney!"**

"Well, at least the girl will live," Ares grunted.

"You mean your daughter?" Artemis asked, her voice articulating every syllable deliberately.

"Whatever."

**Annabeth struggled, but she looked dazed. She had a nasty cut on her forehead. Her eyes were glassy.**

Annabeth grimaced, but didn't say anything.

**"I'll rush him," I whispered to Clarisse. "Our ship is around the back of the island. You and Grover—"**

**"No way," they said at the same time.**

"I doubt it's for the same reasons, however," Hermes remarked dryly. "The Ares girl probably wants in on the fight and the satyr just doesn't want Percy to go alone and/or to leave Annabeth."

**Clarisse had armed herself with a highly collectible rams-horn spear from the Cyclops's cave. Grover had found a sheep's thigh bone, which he didn't look too happy about, but he was gripping it like a club, ready to attack.**

Dionysus' eyebrows raised, looking mildly surprised at that.

**"We'll take him together," Clarisse growled.**

**"Yeah," Grover said. Then he blinked, like he couldn't believe he'd just agreed with Clarisse about something.**

"Neither can I," Thalia snorted with a faint grin.

**"All right," I said. "Attack plan Macedonia."**

Annabeth, Thalia, and Piper all nodded in understanding. Jason -despite learning some of the Greek plans- didn't know all of them; Leo never learnt beyond working on the _Argo II_; and Nico didn't really live at Camp Half-Blood.

**They nodded. We'd all taken the same training courses at Camp Half-Blood. They knew what I was talking about.**

"I would hope so," Hades scoffed.

**They would sneak around either side and attack the Cyclops from the flanks while I held his attention in the front. Probably what this meant was that we'd _all_ die instead of just me, but I was grateful for the help.**

"Positive spin, fish boy," Apollo sniggered.

**I hefted my sword and shouted, "Hey, Ugly!"**

Thalia snorted. "Witty."

**The giant whirled toward me. _"Another _one? Who are you?"**

**"Put down my friend. _I'm _the one who insulted you."**

Annabeth's mouth quirked with amusement.

**_"You _are Nobody?"**

**"That's right, you smelly bucket of nose drool!" It didn't sound quite as good as Annabeth's insults, but it was all I could think of. **

A number of people chuckled.

**"I'm Nobody and I'm proud of it! Now, put her down and get over here. I want to stab your eye out again."**

"Well, it's not as eloquent, but I'm sure it got the job done just as well," Apollo grinned.

**"RAAAR!" he bellowed.**

**The good news: he dropped Annabeth. The bad news: he dropped her headfirst onto the rocks, where she lay motionless as a rag doll.**

Athena stiffened angrily.

**The other bad news: Polyphemus barrelled toward me, a thousand smelly pounds of Cyclops that I would have to fight with a very small sword.**

"This should be good," Nico muttered.

**"For Pan!" Grover rushed in from the right. He threw his sheep bone, which bounced harmlessly off the monster's forehead. **

Dionysus scoffed, but his dark eyes glimmered.

**Clarisse ran in from the left and set her spear against the ground just in time for the Cyclops to step on it. He wailed in pain, and Clarisse dove out of the way to avoid getting trampled. But the Cyclops just plucked out the shaft like a large splinter and kept advancing on me.**

"He must really have a grudge against Odysseus," Piper mused aloud.

"If I were blinded, I think I'd have a touch of a grudge too," Nico replied dryly.

**I moved in with Riptide. The monster made a grab for me. I rolled aside and stabbed him in the thigh. I was hoping to see him disintegrate, but this monster was much too big and powerful.**

"Dumb punk," Ares scoffed, crossing his arms. "Only one hit like that? You'd need to hit him directly in the heart to see him go up."

**"Get Annabeth!" I yelled at Grover.**

**He rushed over, grabbed her invisibility cap, and picked her up while Clarisse and I tried to keep Polyphemus distracted.**

"Keyword tried?"

"Hopefully not," Piper muttered.

**I have to admit, Clarisse was brave. **

Ares smirked.

**She charged the Cyclops again and again. He pounded the ground, stomped at her, grabbed at her, but she was too quick. And as soon as she made an attack, I followed up by stabbing the monster in the toe or the ankle or the hand.**

"They work well together," Demeter looked faintly amused, "I would not have expected that."

"I don't think many would," Poseidon chuckled. "But I suppose necessity outweighs rivalry."

**But we couldn't keep this up forever. Eventually we would tire or the monster would get in a lucky shot. It would only take one hit to kill us.**

"Indeed," Nico murmured.

**Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Grover carrying Annabeth across the rope bridge.**

"Is he nuts?" Leo spluttered. "They'll get eaten!"

"Better over there then with Polyphemus," Jason remarked.

Leo looked dubious. "I don't know about that. You can outrun a giant, you can outrun a herd."

**It wouldn't have been my first choice, given the man-eating sheep on the other side, but at the moment that looked better than _this _side of the chasm, and it gave me an idea.**

Annabeth chuckled suddenly, shaking her head.

**"Fall back!" I told Clarisse.**

**She rolled away as the Cyclops's fist smashed the olive tree beside her.**

"Close call," Jason muttered.

**We ran for the bridge, Polyphemus right behind us. He was cut up and hobbling from so many wounds, but all we'd done was slow him down and make him mad.**

"Well, at least you slowed him down," Hermes said dryly, barely looking up from his smart phone.

**"Grind you into sheep chow!" he promised. "A thousand curses on Nobody!"**

**"Faster!" I told Clarisse.**

"Smart," Dionysus scoffed into diet coke.

**We tore down the hill. The bridge was our only chance. Grover had just made it to the other side and was setting Annabeth down. We had to make it across, too, before the giant caught us.**

"You suuuuure this bridge isn't from Indiana Jones?" Leo asked Piper.

"Well, they haven't cut it yet," Piper pointed out.

"True."

**"Grover!" I yelled. "Get Annabeth's knife!"**

"Or... maybe they will," Piper snorted.

"Booyeah!"

**His eyes widened when he saw the Cyclops behind us, but he nodded like he understood. As Clarisse and I scrambled across the bridge, Grover began sawing at the ropes.**

"Now it's just a race to not die," Jason snorted.

"Isn't Nico supposed to be the depressing one?" Thalia asked, arching a brow.

"Hey!"

"Well, you are."

"Still!"

**The first strand went _snap!_**

**Polyphemus bounded after us, making the bridge sway wildly. The ropes were now half cut. Clarisse and I dove for solid ground, landing beside Grover. I made a wild slash with my sword and cut the remaining ropes.**

A tension sparked through the room.

**The bridge fell away into the chasm, and the Cyclops howled... with delight, because he was standing right next to us.**

"Well crap."

**"Failed!" he yelled gleefully. "Nobody failed!"**

**Clarisse and Grover tried to charge him, but the monster swatted them aside like flies. My anger swelled. I couldn't believe I'd come this far, lost Tyson, suffered through so much, only to fail—stopped by a big stupid monster in a baby-blue tuxedo kilt. **

"Percy's mad," Leo remarked gleefully, his eyes lighting up. "This is gonna be good!"

**Nobody was going to swat down my friends like that! I mean ... _nobody, _not Nobody. Ah, you know what I mean.**

A smattering of chuckles echoed.

**Strength coursed through my body. I raised my sword and attacked, forgetting that I was hopelessly outmatched.**

Ares cocked a brow.

**I jabbed the Cyclops in the belly. When he doubled over I smacked him in the nose with the hilt of my sword. I slashed and kicked and bashed until the next thing I knew, Polyphemus was sprawled on his back, dazed and groaning, and I was standing above him, the tip of my sword hovering over his eye.**

The demigods cheered, as the gods exchanged surprised or intrigued glances. Poseidon looked both amused and proud.

**"Uhhhhhhhh," Polyphemus moaned.**

**"Percy!" Grover gasped. "How did you—"**

"He has no idea," Annabeth remarked dryly, grinning faintly.

**"Please, noooo!" the Cyclops moaned, pitifully staring up at me. His nose was bleeding. A tear welled in the corner of his half-blind eye. "M-m-my sheepies need me. Only trying to protect my sheep!"**

Thalia grimaced. "I have a bad feeling..."

**He began to sob.**

**I had won. All I had to do was stab—one quick strike.**

"He's not going to do it," Ares said flatly. "The punk's too soft."

**"Kill him!" Clarisse yelled. "What are you waiting for?"**

**The Cyclops sounded so heartbroken, just like... like Tyson.**

A few of the demigods groaned at that.

**"He's a Cyclops!" Grover warned. "Don't trust him!"**

**I knew he was right. I knew Annabeth would've said the same thing.**

Annabeth grimaced. Yes, she would've agreed with Grover for Percy to kill him, but not merely because he was a cyclops. At least, not anymore.

**But Polyphemus sobbed... and for the first time it sank in that _he _was a son of Poseidon, too. Like Tyson. Like me. How could I just kill him in cold blood?**

Poseidon smiled sadly, shaking his head.

**"We only want the Fleece," I told the monster. "Will you agree to let us take it?"**

"He won't just let you take it, kid," Apollo remarked, cocking a brow. "Although it's a nice try."

"No, it's foolish," Hades corrected brusquely. "There is nothing 'nice' about the boy's decision to spare the cyclops."

"He's just a boy, brother," Hestia reminded softly. "It's hardly his fault."

"The other's don't seem to be having such a problem," Hades scoffed.

"One's the kid of the God of War, and the other is older than he looks," Hermes pointed out. "Percy's only been involved in our world for a year, you've got to cut him some slack."

"When such slack can get everyone killed, you'll find that I am sorely lacking," the god of the dead replied flatly.

**"No!" Clarisse shouted. "Kill him!"**

**The monster sniffed. "My beautiful Fleece. Prize of my collection. Take it, cruel human. Take it and go in peace."**

"He's lying," Piper muttered, tugging on one of her braid anxiously.

**"I'm going to step back slowly," I told the monster. "One false move..."**

**Polyphemus nodded like he understood.**

**I stepped back... and as fast as a cobra, Polyphemus smacked me to the edge of the cliff.**

A cacophony of groans rang out at that.

**"Foolish mortal!" he bellowed, rising to his feet. "Take my Fleece? Ha! I eat you first."**

**He opened his enormous mouth, and I knew that his rotten molars were the last things I would ever see.**

Poseidon grimaced.

**Then something went _whoosh _over my head and _thump!_**

**A rock the size of a basketball sailed into Polyphemus's throat—a beautiful three-pointer, nothing but net.**

"Son of a bitch," Jason blinked in surprised, effectively summing up the stunned silence in the room. "But who-" He cut himself off and shook his head.

**The Cyclops choked, trying to swallow the unexpected pill. He staggered backward, but there was no place to stagger. His heel slipped, the edge of the cliff crumbled, and the great Polyphemus made chicken wing motions that did nothing to help him fly as he tumbled into the chasm.**

"Talk about a close call," Nico muttered.

"Forget that," Thalia replied, "who in Hades threw that stone?"

**I turned.**

**Halfway down the path to the beach, standing completely unharmed in the midst of a flock of killer sheep, was an old friend.**

"No way," Apollo said, a grin beginning to stretch across his face.

**"Bad Polyphemus," Tyson said. "Not all Cyclopes as nice as we look."**

A brief, but loud and fervent, cheer broke out at that. Annabeth just grinned and folded her arms, looking wholly amused.

**Tyson gave us the short version: Rainbow the hippocampus—who'd apparently been following us ever since the Long Island Sound, waiting for Tyson to play with him**

Poseidon chuckled.

—**had found Tyson sinking beneath the wreckage of the CSS _Birmingham _and pulled him to safety.**

"That's lucky," Leo grinned.

**He and Tyson had been searching the Sea of Monsters ever since, trying to find us, until Tyson caught the scent of sheep and found this island.**

"Luck indeed," Thalia sniggered. "Guess it runs In the family."

Poseidon laughed at that remark, giving his niece a wink.

**I wanted to hug the big oaf, except he was standing in the middle of killer sheep. **

"Yeah, that would wreck the mood," Apollo snickered.

**"Tyson, thank the gods. Annabeth is hurt!"**

**"You thank the gods she is hurt?" he asked, puzzled.**

Annabeth snorted, and Athena merely rolled her eyes.

**"No!" I knelt beside Annabeth and was worried sick by what I saw. The gash on her forehead was worse than I'd realized. Her hairline was sticky with blood. Her skin was pale and clammy. Grover and I exchanged nervous looks. Then an idea came to me. "Tyson, the Fleece. Can you get it for me?"**

"Smart brat," Dionysus muttered grudgingly.

**"Which one?" Tyson said, looking around at the hundreds of sheep.**

**"In the tree!" I said. "The gold one!"**

**"Oh. Pretty. Yes."**

"No sense of dramatic timing," Leo remarked, well, dramatically.

**Tyson lumbered over, careful not to step on the sheep. If any of us had tried to approach the Fleece, we would've been eaten alive, but I guess Tyson smelled like Polyphemus, because the flock didn't bother him at all.**

"Lucky enough," Jason said, "otherwise, how else would you have gotten the Fleece?"

**They just cuddled up to him and bleated affectionately, as though they expected to get sheep treats from the big wicker basket.**

"That could be a problem," Apollo said, inspecting his nails.

**Tyson reached up and lifted the Fleece off its branch. Immediately the leaves on the oak tree turned yellow. Tyson started wading back toward me, but I yelled, "No time! Throw it!"**

**The gold ram skin sailed through the air like a glittering shag Frisbee.**

A few people chuckled at that.

**I caught it with a grunt. It was heavier than I'd expected—sixty or seventy pounds of precious gold wool.**

"Well gold is hardly light, boy," Hades scoffed.

**I spread it over Annabeth, covering everything but her face, and prayed silently to all the gods I could think of, even the ones I didn't like.**

"Perseus is rather devoted to you, don't you suppose?" Aphrodite remarked, a gentle tone in her voice.

"Pride is not his downfall," was Annabeth's reply, a soft look in her eye.

Athena looked at her daughter, truly looked at her for the first time in a while. Rather simply and without any of the dramatics most would assume to exist, Athena realized -as if it weren't too important- that her daughter was in love with Poseidon's boy. For a moment, Athena wondered why she wasn't more shocked about this, but she quickly put it out of her mind. She knew it was not her decision to make, it was her daughter's. And as much as she wished that her daughter had not chosen the sea spawn, it was not her place to argue.

_**Please. Please.**_

**The colour returned to her face. Her eyelids fluttered open. The cut on her forehead began to close. She saw Grover and said weakly, "You're not... married?"**

A couple of people chuckled.

**Grover grinned. "No. My friends talked me out of it."**

"Damn straight," Thalia smirked.

**"Annabeth," I said, "just lay still."**

**But despite our protests she sat up,**

Annabeth flushed faintly at the amount of amused looks she was getting.

**and I noticed that the cut on her face was almost completely healed. She looked a lot better. In fact, she shimmered with health, as if someone had injected her with glitter.**

"How adorable~" Aphrodite cooed.

**Meanwhile, Tyson was starting to have trouble with the sheep.**

"Saw that one coming," Demeter sniffed. "Polyphemus gave his sheep treats every time he saw them to fend them off. As you're not doing the same thing, they're not going to wait for long."

**"Down!" he told them as they tried to climb him, looking for food. A few were sniffing in our direction. "No, sheepies.**

Leo chortled.

**This way! Come here!"**

**They heeded him, but it was obvious they were hungry, and they were starting to realize Tyson didn't have any treats for them. They wouldn't hold out forever with so much fresh meat nearby.**

"Not good," Apollo commented dryly.

**"We have to go," I said. "Our ship is..." The _Queen Anne's Revenge _was a very long way away. The shortest route was across the chasm, and we'd just destroyed the only bridge.**

"Greeeeat," Piper groaned.

**The only other possibility was through the sheep.**

"Yeah, good luck with that," Ares snorted.

**"Tyson," I called, "can you lead the flock as far away as possible?"**

**"The sheep want food."**

**"I know! They want people food! Just lead them away from the path. Give us time to get to the beach. Then join us there."**

"Distractions, joy," Dionysus scoffed. "Because those always work."

**Tyson looked doubtful, but he whistled. "Come, sheepies! Um, people food this way!"**

Apollo snickered at that.

**He jogged off into the meadow, the sheep in pursuit.**

**"Keep the Fleece around you," I told Annabeth. "Just in case you're not fully healed yet. Can you stand?"**

**She tried, but her face turned pale again. "Ohh. _Not _fully healed."**

Annabeth made a face. "Yes, that was not a pleasant feeling."

"I can't imagine it would be," Hermes replied dryly.

**Clarisse dropped next to her and felt her chest, which made Annabeth gasp.**

**"Ribs broken," Clarisse said. "They're mending, but definitely broken."**

"That's always a pain to deal with," Jason winced sympathetically.

**"How can you tell?" I asked.**

**Clarisse glared at me. "Because I've broken a few, runt! I'll have to carry her."**

**Before I could argue,**

"Why would you want to?"

"Because he wants to carry her, Leo."

"Ohhhh."

**Clarisse picked up Annabeth like a sack of flour and lugged her down to the beach. Grover and I followed.**

Annabeth grimaced. "And there goes my dignity."

**As soon as we got to the edge of the water, I concentrated on the _Queen Anne's Revenge. _I willed it to raise anchor and come to me.**

Poseidon smiled.

**After a few anxious minutes, I saw the ship rounding the tip of the island.**

**"Incoming!" Tyson yelled. He was bounding down the path to join us, the sheep about fifty yards behind, bleating in frustration as their Cyclops friend ran away without feeding them.**

"Sucks for you," Leo sniggered.

**"They probably won't follow us into the water," I told the others. "All we have to do is swim for the ship."**

**"With Annabeth like this?" Clarisse protested.**

**"We can do it," I insisted. I was starting to feel confident again. I was back in my home turf—the sea.**

Poseidon nodded, a grin decorating his mouth.

**"Once we get to the ship, we're home free."**

**We almost made it, too.**

"Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun!"

"Leo! Stop it!"

**We were just wading past the entrance to the ravine, when we heard a tremendous roar and saw Polyphemus, scraped up and bruised but still very much alive, his baby-blue wedding outfit in tatters, splashing toward us with a boulder in each hand.**

"Well... shit."

"Eloquent, Leo."

"I do try, Pipes."

"The chapter has been finished," Athena declared simply.

"How about we take a short break, hm?" Hera suggested sweetly. "Stretch our legs for a bit."

"Why not," Hermes snorted. "It's not like something dire has just happened."

Hera shot him a filthy look, but Hermes ignored her. With a little mumbling, a number of gods and demigods began to file out of the room.

* * *

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls!

I am, officially, a high school graduate! And, not only did I graduate as an Ontario Scholar, successfully getting honour roll all four years of high school. But, I also managed to nab the Excellence in English award.

I know, I'm bragging. But what can I say? I'm happy. :D

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	44. Chapter 44

They didn't have a long break, merely one long enough to stretch out tensed muscles and get the blood flowing again. Soon enough, everyone was back in the reading room with fresh food back on the coffee table.

Almost immediately, Leo dived forward and grabbed a plateful of grilled cheese as the other demigods filed in. With a murmured thanks towards the Lady Hera, they took their seats once more with plates of food.

"I shall read this chapter," Hephaestus rumbled once everyone was situated.

"Fair enough," Leo remarked through a mouthful of food.

"Leo," Piper protested, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

"Chapter sixteen," Hephaestus said, "**I go Down with the Ship**."

Poseidon grimaced at the title as a number of people exchanged looks.

**"You'd think he'd run out of rocks," I muttered.**

A number of people snorted at that.

**"Swim for it!" Grover said.**

"Good idea," Dionysus scoffed.

**He and Clarisse plunged into the surf. Annabeth hung on to Clarisse's neck and tried to paddle with one hand, the wet Fleece weighing her down.**

"Yes, that was not an easy thing to do," Annabeth grimaced.

**But the monster's attention wasn't on the Fleece.**

"I bet it wasn't," Nico muttered.

**"You, young Cyclops!" Polyphemus roared. "Traitor to your kind!"**

"Well, that's not nice," Apollo remarked dryly.

**Tyson froze.**

**"Don't listen to him!"**

"Yes, please don't," Thalia commented.

**I pleaded. "Come on."**

**I pulled Tyson's arm, but I might as well have been pulling a mountain.**

"And Percy's hardly weak," Nico remarked. "Damn."

**He turned and faced the older Cyclops. "I am not a traitor."**

**"You serve mortals!" Polyphemus shouted. "Thieving humans!"**

"Well, at least we can agree on one thing," Dionysus scoffed into his diet coke.

"Be nice, Dionysus," Hermes cautioned, his eyes glinting.

**Polyphemus threw his first boulder. Tyson swatted it aside with his fist.**

**"Not a traitor," Tyson said. "And you are _not _my kind."**

Poseidon gave a lopsided grin.

**"Death or victory!" Polyphemus charged into the surf, but his foot was still wounded. He immediately stumbled and fell on his face.**

Leo snorted loudly and Thalia elbowed him in the ribs to shut him up.

**That would've been funny, except he started to get up again, spitting salt water and growling.**

"And as a son of Poseidon -however loosely- I bet you he only became stronger in the salt water," Hermes said dryly.

**"Percy!" Clarisse yelled. "Come on!"**

**They were almost to the ship with the Fleece. If I could just keep the monster distracted a little longer...**

"Crunch time," Apollo sniggered.

"Is that a _pun_?" Hermes scoffed.

**"Go," Tyson told me. "I will hold Big Ugly."**

**"No! He'll kill you." I'd already lost Tyson once. I wasn't going to lose him again.**

Hestia smiled.

**"We'll fight him together."**

**"Together," Tyson agreed.**

**I drew my sword.**

"Leo?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you humming the Darth Vadar theme?"

"Yes."

"Riiiight..."

**Polyphemus advanced carefully, limping worse than ever. But there was nothing wrong with his throwing arm. He chucked his second boulder. I dove to one side, but I still would've been squashed if Tyson's fist hadn't blasted the rock to rubble.**

"Go Tyson," Jason said, impressed.

**I willed the sea to rise. A twenty-foot wave surged up, lifting me on its crest. I rode toward the Cyclops and kicked him in the eye,**

"Always the eye," Leo snickered.

**leaping over his head as the water blasted him onto the beach.**

Poseidon chuckled.

**"Destroy you!" Polyphemus spluttered. "Fleece stealer!"**

**_"You _stole the Fleece!" I yelled. "You've been using it to lure satyrs to their deaths!"**

"Two wrongs don't make a right," Athena looked amused.

**"So? Satyrs good eating!"**

**"The Fleece should be used to heal! It belongs to the children of the gods!"**

"Well, way to set him up for the perfect comeback," Nico snorted.

**_"I _am a child of the gods!" Polyphemus swiped at me, but I sidestepped. "Father Poseidon, curse this thief!"**

All of the gods sighed at that, they all had that _one child_...

**He was blinking hard now, like he could barely see, and I realized he was targeting by the sound of my voice.**

"Good, make a strategy," Athena approved.

**"Poseidon won't curse me," I said, backing up as the Cyclops grabbed air. "I'm his son, too. He won't play favourites."**

Poseidon smiled as a number of the gods looked mildly surprised at Percy's insight and humility.

**Polyphemus roared. He ripped an olive tree**

Annabeth snorted. "Ironic."

"How is that ironic?" Thalia cocked a brow.

"Olive tree, saltwater fountain, Athena, Poseidon, naming of Athens. Son of Poseidon being attacked by an olive tree."

"Ah."

**out of the side of the cliff and smashed it where I'd been standing a moment before. "Humans not the same! Nasty, tricky, lying!"**

"Well he's not far off, is he?" Dionysus scoffed.

"Shut _up_, Dionysus." Apollo scoffed.

**Grover was helping Annabeth aboard the ship. Clarisse was waving frantically at me, telling me to come on.**

"So close! But so far..."

**Tyson worked his way around Polyphemus, trying to get behind him.**

**"Young one!" the older Cyclops called. "Where are you? Help me!"**

**Tyson stopped.**

"It looks like Tyson and Percy are both felled by the same thing," Athena commented, "compassion."

Ares scoffed. "Screw compassion. Better to kill an innocent then set free a murderer."

**"You weren't raised right!" Polyphemus wailed, shaking his olive tree club. "Poor orphaned brother! Help me!"**

"I think Tyson learnt all he needed to," Piper spat defiantly. "Which doesn't say much for you."

**No one moved. No sound but the ocean and my own heartbeat. Then Tyson stepped forward, raising his hands defensively. "Don't fight, Cyclops brother.**

"Compassionate indeed," Hestia murmured.

"If they don't toughen up, it'll get them killed," Ares retorted disapprovingly.

**Put down the—"**

**Polyphemus spun toward his voice.**

"Crap." Jason said flatly.

**"Tyson!" I shouted.**

**The tree struck him with such force it would've flattened me into a Percy pizza with extra olives.**

A number of people snorted.

**Tyson flew backward, ploughing a trench in the sand. Polyphemus charged after him, but I shouted, "No!" and lunged as far as I could with Riptide. I'd hoped to sting Polyphemus in the back of the thigh, but I managed to leap a little bit higher.**

Leo and Apollo both cackled with amusement.

**"Blaaaaah!" Polyphemus bleated just like his sheep,**

Hermes grinned.

**and swung at me with his tree.**

**I dove, but still got raked across the back by a dozen jagged branches. I was bleeding and bruised and exhausted. The guinea pig inside me wanted to bolt. But I swallowed down my fear.**

"Good," Ares said emphatically.

**Polyphemus swung the tree again, but this time I was ready. I grabbed a branch as it passed, ignoring the pain in my hands as I was jerked skyward,**

"That must've hurt," Leo winced sympathetically.

"Understatement," Jason snorted.

**and let the Cyclops lift me into the air. At the top of the arc I let go and fell straight against the giant's face—landing with both feet on his already damaged eye.**

"A good plan," Athena praised, "although now you have the unfortunate business of trying to get down."

**Polyphemus yowled in pain. Tyson tackled him, pulling him down. I landed next to them—sword in hand, within striking distance of the monster's heart. But I locked eyes with Tyson, and I knew I couldn't do it. It just wasn't right.**

Ares rolled his eyes and shook his head.

**"Let him go," I told Tyson. "Run."**

**With one last mighty effort, Tyson pushed the cursing older Cyclops away, and we ran for the surf.**

"Okay, I don't see how this is going to go poorly yet..." Nico remarked.

"Way to jinx it," Thalia said dryly.

"It's already happened! I can't jinx what we already know is going to happen!"

**"I will smash you.'" Polyphemus yelled, doubling over in pain. His enormous hands cupped over his eye.**

"Gee, wonder why?" Dionysus drawled.

**Tyson and I plunged into the waves.**

**"Where are you?" Polyphemus screamed. He picked up his tree club and threw it into the water. It splashed off to our right.**

"He cannot see you," Athena remarked, looking intrigued. "If you stay quiet..."

**I summoned up a current to carry us, and we started gaining speed. I was beginning to think we might make it to the ship, when Clarisse shouted from the deck, "Yeah, Jackson! In your face, Cyclops!"**

"Well, now we know how the ship goes down," Thalia said.

"See?"

"Shut up, Nico."

**_Shut up, _I wanted to yell.**

**"Rarrr!" Polyphemus picked up a boulder. He threw it toward the sound of Clarisse's voice, but it fell short, narrowly missing Tyson and me.**

"And this is why wisdom is needed," Athena remarked, "not merely brute strength."

Ares scowled darkly.

**"Yeah, yeah!" Clarisse taunted. "You throw like a wimp! Teach you to try marrying me, you idiot!"**

"That... makes no sense. And I'm pretty sure it's more an insult to her than to Polyphemus," Piper said simply.

"Brains over brawn, every time," Annabeth replied calmly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

**"Clarisse!" I yelled, unable to stand it. "Shut up!"**

**Too late. Polyphemus threw another boulder, and this time I watched helplessly as it sailed over my head and crashed through the hull of the _Queen Anne's Revenge._**

The group groaned.

**You wouldn't believe how fast a ship can sink. The _Queen Anne's Revenge _creaked and groaned and listed forward like it was going down a playground slide.**

"...but how does Percy go down with the ship?" Leo frowned.

"Guess we'll find out," Thalia said grimly.

**I cursed, willing the sea to push us faster, but the ship's masts were already going under.**

**"Dive!" I told Tyson. And as another rock sailed over our heads, we plunged underwater.**

**My friends were sinking fast, trying to swim, without luck, in the bubbly trail of the ship's wreckage. Not many people realize that when a ship goes down, it acts like a sinkhole, pulling down everything around it.**

"I wonder where he learnt that," Jason mused. "After he found out his heritage, maybe?"

"Maybe," Thalia shrugged, "who knows."

**Clarisse was a strong swimmer, but even she wasn't making any progress. Grover frantically kicked with his hooves. Annabeth was hanging on to the Fleece, which flashed in the water like a wave of new pennies.**

"I had absolutely no strength in my body," Annabeth admitted. "I could barely breathe between the water and the broken ribs."

**I swam toward them, knowing that I might not have the strength to pull my friends out. Worse, pieces of timber were swirling around them; none of my power with water would help if I got whacked on the head by a beam.**

"No, and I wouldn't suggest trying," Poseidon said quietly.

**_We need help, _I thought.**

**_Yes. _Tyson's voice, loud and clear in my head.**

"I didn't know he could do that," Piper blinked in surprise.

**I looked over at him, startled. I'd heard Nereids and other water spirits speak to me underwater before, but it never occurred to me... Tyson was a son of Poseidon. We could communicate with each other.**

Poseidon chuckled. "Better late than never, I suppose."

**_Rainbow, _Tyson said. I nodded, then closed my eyes and concentrated, adding my voice to Tyson's: _RAINBOW! We need you!_**

"That will certainly come in handy," Jason nodded.

"You mean 'he' will certainly come in handy," Piper corrected with a faint smile.

**Immediately, shapes shimmered in the darkness below—three horses with fish tails, galloping upward faster than dolphins. Rainbow and his friends glanced in our direction and seemed to read our thoughts.**

Poseidon's eyes crinkled with amusement.

**They whisked into the wreckage, and a moment later burst upward in a cloud of bubbles—Grover, Annabeth, and Clarisse each clinging to the neck of a hippocampus.**

"Brilliant," Thalia grinned.

"Just in time too," Annabeth shook her head.

**Rainbow, the largest, had Clarisse. He raced over to us and allowed Tyson to grab hold of his mane. His friend who bore Annabeth did the same for me.**

Aphrodite cooed.

**We broke the surface of the water and raced away from Polyphemus's island. Behind us, I could hear the Cyclops roaring in triumph, "I did it! I finally sank Nobody!"**

**I hoped he never found out he was wrong.**

"Don't we all," Nico said dryly.

**We skimmed across the sea as the island shrank to a dot and then disappeared.**

**"Did it," Annabeth muttered in exhaustion. "We…"**

**She slumped against the neck of the hippocampus and instantly fell asleep.**

"Don't look at me like that," Annabeth said, more amused than anything. "I was healing, healing tires everyone."

**I didn't know how far the hippocampi could take us. I didn't know where we were going. I just propped up Annabeth so she wouldn't fall off, covered her in the Golden Fleece that we'd been through so much to get, and said a silent prayer of thanks.**

"Oh right," Leo grinned.

**Which reminded me... I still owed the gods a debt.**

The gods chuckled.

"**You're a genius," I told Annabeth quietly.**

Annabeth smiled and shook her head.

**Then I put my head against the Fleece, and before I knew it, I was asleep, too.**

"Here," Hephaestus grunted, chucking the book onto the table. "Next."

"I shall read," Hades sneered faintly, "at least that will break the monotony of this session."

Picking up the book, he flipped through until he found the page. "Chapter seventeen: We Get a Surprise on Miami Beach."

* * *

So, I know a couple of people reviewed my last chapter and spoke about how it was their birthday on the 29th.

So, to athas65 and the anonymous reviewer whom named themself 'Cheese': Happy Birthday!

Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

~LastTruth


	45. Chapter 45

**We Get a Surprise on Miami Beach**

"A good surprise, or a bad surprise?" Leo asked.

"I hate surprises," Annabeth sighed.

"Bad surprise then. Great."

**"Percy, wake up." Salt water splashed my face. Annabeth was shaking my shoulder.**

"He must've been exhausted," Aphrodite cooed. "Poor little darling."

**In the distance, the sun was setting behind a city skyline. I could see a beachside highway lined with palm trees, store fronts glowing with red and blue neon, a harbour filled with sailboats and cruise ships.**

"Isn't that where this journey started?" Piper asked.

"Pretty much," Hermes shrugged.

**"Miami, I think," Annabeth said. "But the hippocampi are acting funny."**

Poseidon scoffed, more annoyed at the state of the water then at the question.

**Sure enough, our fishy friends had slowed down and were whinnying and swimming in circles, sniffing the water. They didn't look happy. One of them sneezed. I could tell what they were thinking.**

"Like... he knew-knew, or he just _knew_?" Leo mused aloud.

"Both, I reckon," Jason said dryly.

**"This is as far as they'll take us," I said. "Too many humans. Too much pollution. We'll have to swim to shore on our own."**

"Joyous," Nico deadpanned.

**None of us was very psyched about that, but we thanked Rainbow and his friends for the ride.**

"Polite," Hera approved.

**Tyson cried a little. He unfastened the makeshift saddle pack he'd made, which contained his tool kit and a couple of other things he'd salvaged from the _Birmingham_ wreck.**

"He made a sling with the little he had?" Piper looked impressed. "Not bad."

"Hey!" Leo protested, feeling a little underappreciated.

"What? It's impressive!"

**He hugged Rainbow around the neck, gave him a soggy mango he'd picked up on the island, and said goodbye.**

"That's sweet of him."

**Once the hippocampi's white manes disappeared into the sea, we swam for shore. The waves pushed us forward, and in no time we were back in the mortal world.**

"Being on the ocean does feel a little surreal at times, doesn't it?" Piper hummed.

Poseidon chuckled. "I'm sure some may feel thusly."

**We wandered along the cruise line docks, pushing through crowds of people arriving for vacations. Porters bustled around with carts of luggage. Taxi drivers yelled at each other in Spanish and tried to cut in line for customers. If anybody noticed us—five kids dripping wet and looking like they'd just had a fight with a monster—they didn't let on.**

"In a crowd of people, and not a person in sight," Apollo mused.

"That's one way of putting it," Hermes remarked, cocking a brow. "It does feel like humans have lost some of their humanity, doesn't it? Sometimes, at least."

"Sometimes indeed."

**Now that we were back among mortals, Tyson's single eye had blurred from the Mist. Grover had put on his cap and sneakers. Even the Fleece had transformed from a sheepskin to a red-and-gold high school letter jacket with a large glittery Omega on the pocket.**

"That's pretty cool," Leo said. "Letter jackets are always kind of cool -douchey, definitely a little douchey. But still."

"I wouldn't say they're douchey," Piper protested. "A little old-school, maybe. But not douchey."

**Annabeth ran to the nearest newspaper box and checked the date on the _Miami Herald. _She cursed. "June eighteenth! We've been away from camp ten days!"**

"Well, that's not good," Nico muttered. "But I can't even remember how long they had, nevermind the significance."

"It does feel like they've been away forever, doesn't it?" Thalia snorted.

**"That's impossible!" Clarisse said.**

**But I knew it wasn't. Time travelled differently in monstrous places.**

"That's one way of putting it," Jason commented.

**"Thalia's tree must be almost dead," Grover wailed. "We have to get the Fleece back _tonight."_**

Thalia grimaced and Zeus' eyes darkened dangerously; Hera's smile became oddly stiff and she looked cold.

**Clarisse slumped down on the pavement. "How are we supposed to do that?" Her voice trembled. "We're hundreds of miles away. No money. No ride. This is just like the Oracle said. It's _your _fault, Jackson! If you hadn't interfered—"**

"Annnnnnd sympathy waning," Leo rolled his eyes. "I felt bad for you until you began to blame the one person who was trying to do what was right from the beginning."

**"Percy's fault?" Annabeth exploded. "Clarisse, how can you say that? You are the biggest—"**

"Somebody's defensive," Aphrodite hummed.

"He's a friend," Annabeth defended. "I wasn't about to let him get torn apart like that."

"Tis... commendable," Athena remarked.

A looked passed between mother and daughter; wariness on behalf of the daughter and willing openness behalf of the mother. Then, all of a sudden, something softened in Annabeth's eyes and she nodded ever-so-slightly, Athena merely smiled mysteriously. Already knowing her daughter's response, but waiting until her daughter could acknowledge it.

**"Stop it!" I said.**

"Good," Hestia approved.

**Clarisse put her head in hands. Annabeth stomped her foot in frustration.**

**The thing was: I'd almost forgotten this quest was supposed to be Clarisse's.**

"I think most everyone did," Nico admitted.

**For a scary moment, I saw things from her point of view. How would I feel if a bunch of other heroes had butted in and made me look bad?**

"Twas a brave thing, though still a meddlesome problem," Athena intoned.

**I thought about what I'd overheard in the boiler room of the CSS _Birmingham_—**

Artemis, Hera, and Athena all glared.

**Ares yelling at Clarisse, warning her that she'd better not fail. Ares couldn't care less about the camp, but if Clarisse made him look bad...**

Ares scowled at the mere mention, whilst a number of people glared at him.

**"Clarisse," I said, "what did the Oracle tell you exactly?"**

**She looked up. I thought she was going to tell me off, but instead she took a deep breath and recited her prophecy:**

"Good, now we know what we're dealing with."

_**"You shall sail the iron ship with warriors of bone,**_

_**You shall find what you seek and make it your own,**_

_**But despair for your life entombed within stone,**_

_**And fail without friends, to fly home alone."**_

"Well, doesn't that sound cheery?" Leo winced, fiddling with something sparking in his hands.

**"Ouch," Grover mumbled.**

**"No," I said. "No... wait a minute. I've got it." I searched my pockets for money, and found nothing but a golden drachma. "Does anybody have any cash?"**

"What is he planning?" Aphrodite looked intrigued.

"If you let me read..." Hades drawled off.

**Annabeth and Grover shook their heads morosely. Clarisse pulled a wet Confederate dollar from her pocket and sighed.**

**"Cash?" Tyson asked hesitantly. "Like... green paper?"**

"Would they be that lucky?" Nico asked, cocking a brow.

**I looked at him. "Yeah."**

**"Like the kind in duffel bags?"**

**"Yeah, but we lost those bags days a-g-g—"**

Annabeth chuckled. "That did look pretty amusing."

**I stuttered to a halt as Tyson rummaged in his saddle pack and pulled out the Ziploc bag full of cash that Hermes had included in our supplies.**

Hermes grinned broadly. "Good lad."

**"Tyson!" I said. "How did you—"**

**"Thought it was a feed bag for Rainbow," he said. "Found it floating in sea, but only paper inside. Sorry."**

"Don't say sorry at all, big dude," Leo cackled, "this is brill!"

**He handed me the cash. Fives and tens, at least three hundred dollars.**

Apollo whistled. "Damn, he hit the jackpot, didn't he?"

**I ran to the curb and grabbed a taxi that was just letting out a family of cruise passengers. "Clarisse," I yelled. "Come on. You're going to the airport. Annabeth, give her the Fleece."**

"Wait," Leo blinked, "what?"

**I'm not sure which of them looked more stunned**

"It was pretty close, I have to admit," Annabeth said wryly.

**as I took the Fleece letter jacket from Annabeth, tucked the cash into its pocket, and put it in Clarisse's arms.**

**Clarisse said, "You'd let me—"**

"I don't think this is about letting," Hestia hummed, "I think this is more about doing what is right."

**"It's your quest," I said. "We only have enough money for one flight. Besides, I can't travel by air. Zeus would blast me into a million pieces.**

Zeus snorted in agreement.

**That's what the prophecy meant: you'd fail without friends, meaning you'd need our help, but you'd have to fly home alone.**

"Very astute of him," Athena nodded approvingly.

**You have to get the Fleece back safely."**

**I could see her mind working—suspicious at first, wondering what trick I was playing, then finally deciding I meant what I said.**

Poseidon grinned, and Ares just looked gobsmacked.

**She jumped in the cab. "You can count on me. I won't fail."**

**"Not failing would be good."**

A number of people snorted.

**The cab peeled out in a cloud of exhaust. The Fleece was on its way.**

**"Percy," Annabeth said, "that was so—"**

**"Generous?" Grover offered.**

**_"Insane," _Annabeth corrected.**

"Somebody isn't happy," Leo said dryly.

"It threw me a little," Annabeth admitted. "But he did do the right thing."

**"You're betting the lives of everybody at camp that Clarisse will get the Fleece safely back by tonight?"**

**"It's her quest," I said. "She deserves a chance."**

"Damn fucking straight," Ares grunted.

**"Percy is nice," Tyson said.**

**"Percy is _too _nice," Annabeth grumbled, but I couldn't help thinking that maybe, just maybe, she was a little impressed. I'd surprised her, anyway. And that wasn't easy to do.**

Annabeth grinned faintly and shook her head.

**"Come on," I told my friends. "Let's find another way home."**

**That's when I turned and found a sword's point at my throat.**

A cacophony of groans rose up from the group.

**"Hey, cuz," said Luke. "Welcome back to the States."**

Hermes' eyes darkened.

**His bear-man thugs appeared on either of side of us.**

Artemis scowled.

**One grabbed Annabeth and Grover by their T-shirt collars. The other tried to grab Tyson, but Tyson knocked him into a pile of luggage and roared at Luke.**

"That seems a bit out of character," Leo snickered.

"Not really," Nico snorted.

**"Percy," Luke said calmly, "tell your giant to back down or I'll have Oreius bash your friends' heads together."**

Annabeth and Thalia exchanged defeated looks.

**Oreius grinned and raised Annabeth and Grover off the ground, kicking and screaming.**

"I was not!" Annabeth protested, her face flaming red.

**"What do you want, Luke?" I growled.**

**He smiled, the scar rippling on the side of his face. He gestured toward the end of the dock, and I noticed what should've been obvious. The biggest boat in port was the _Princess Andromeda._**

"Fail," Jason sighed.

"Understatement,' Nico said dryly.

**"Why, Percy," Luke said, "I want to extend my hospitality, of course."**

A low, angry sounded, emitted from Hermes' throat at that. It was an insult to him, and an insult to his other children. Luke may have been his favourite, but he was not immune to a god's anger.

**The bear twins herded us aboard the _Princess Andromeda. _They threw us down on the aft deck in front of a swimming pool with sparkling fountains that sprayed into the air. A dozen of Luke's assorted goons—snake people, Laistrygonians, demigods in battle armour—had gathered to watch us get some "hospitality."**

"Not good," Leo commented lightly.

**"And so, the Fleece," Luke mused. "Where is it?" He looked us over, prodding my shirt with the tip of his sword, poking Grover's jeans.**

"Nice timing," Piper said, a relieved look on her face, "it's already gone."

**"Hey!" Grover yelled. "That's real goat fur under there!"**

**"Sorry, old friend." Luke smiled. "Just give me the Fleece and I'll leave you to return to your, ah, little nature quest."**

Dionysus scoffed.

**"Blaa-ha-ha!" Grover protested. "Some old friend!"**

**"Maybe you didn't hear me." Luke's voice was dangerously calm. "Where—is—the—Fleece?"**

**"Not here," I said. I probably shouldn't have told him anything, but it felt good to throw the truth in his face.**

Poseidon's mouth quirked with amusement, even as he shook his head.

**"We sent it on ahead of us. You messed up."**

**Luke's eyes narrowed. "You're lying. You couldn't have..." His face reddened as a horrible possibility occurred to him. "Clarisse?"**

Ares grinned dangerously. "Damn straight, brat!"

**I nodded.**

**"You trusted... you gave..."**

**"Yeah."**

Leo crowed with amusement.

**"Agrius!"**

**The bear giant flinched. "Y-yes?"**

**"Get below and prepare my steed. Bring it to the deck. I need to fly to the Miami Airport, fast."**

"It's not going to make it," Hermes' voice was hard, but there was a rough undertone to it that bespoke of his sadness.

**"But, boss—"**

**"Do it!" Luke screamed. "Or I'll feed you to the drakon!"**

**The bear-man gulped and lumbered down the stairs. Luke paced in front of the swimming pool, cursing in Ancient Greek, gripping his sword so tight his knuckles turned white. The rest of Luke's crew looked uneasy. Maybe they'd never seen their boss so unhinged before.**

"You're not supposed to lose your grip in front of your army," Ares remarked, his tone careless. "You'll lose their respect as they think you're losing your grip on the situation."

**I started thinking... If I could use Luke's anger, get him to talk so everybody could hear how crazy his plans were...**

Athena chuckled rather suddenly. "Seems as though young Perseus is quite on a roll this day."

"He does seem to be having a winning streak in terms of plans," Apollo cackled.

**I looked at the swimming pool, at the fountains spraying mist into the air, making a rainbow in the sunset. And suddenly I had an idea.**

**"You've been toying with us all along," I said. "You wanted us to bring you the Fleece and save you the trouble of getting it."**

"Tis quite a dastardly plan," Athena said.

"One thing to be said about my children, I suppose," Hermes remarked, his voice cold with self-deprecation.

**Luke scowled. "Of course, you idiot! And you've messed everything up!"**

**"Traitor!" I dug my last gold drachma out of my pocket and threw it at Luke. As I expected, he dodged it easily.**

Poseidon chuckled.

**The coin sailed into the spray of rainbow-coloured water. I hoped my prayer would be accepted in silence.**

"Of course it would be," Dionysus scoffed.

**I thought with all my heart: _O goddess, accept my offering._**

**"You tricked all of us!" I yelled at Luke. "Even DIONYSUS at CAMP HALF-BLOOD!"**

Dionysus' brows raised.

**Behind Luke, the fountain began to shimmer, but I needed everyone's attention on me, so I uncapped Riptide.**

"Good," Hephaestus grunted.

**Luke just sneered. "This is no time for heroics, Percy. Drop your puny little sword, or I'll have you killed sooner rather than later."**

"And yet with heroes..." Jason shook his head with a grimace, ignoring the curious looks he got as he fell silent.

**"Who poisoned Thalia's tree, Luke?"**

**"I did, of course," he snarled. "I already told you that. I used elder python venom, straight from the depths of Tartarus."**

Thalia scowled and looked away.

**"Chiron had nothing to do with it?"**

**"Ha! You know he would never do that. The old fool wouldn't have the guts."**

Annabeth bristled on Chiron's behalf.

**"You call it guts? Betraying your friends? Endangering the whole camp?"**

**Luke raised his sword. "You don't understand the half of it. I was going to let you take the Fleece... once I was done with it."**

"Okay... what?" Leo frowned in confusion.

**That made me hesitate. Why would he let me take the Fleece? He must've been lying. But I couldn't afford to lose his attention.**

"I doubt he's lying," Athena remarked calmly, "but yes, don't lose his attention."

**"You were going to heal Kronos," I said.**

Zeus rumbled low in his throat, Poseidon hissed as if in pain, and Hades' look became incredibly dark.

**"Yes! The Fleece's magic would've sped his mending process by tenfold. But you haven't stopped us, Percy. You've only slowed us down a little."**

"It's enough," Annabeth said, her voice hard.

**"And so you poisoned the tree, you betrayed Thalia, you set us up—all to help Kronos destroy the gods."**

The gods all looked angry at that.

**Luke gritted his teeth. "You know that! Why do you keep asking me?"**

**"Because I want everybody in the audience to hear you."**

Annabeth chuckled, remembering this moment rather fondly.

**"_What _audience?"**

**Then his eyes narrowed. He looked behind him and his goons did the same. They gasped and stumbled back. Above the pool, shimmering in the rainbow mist, was an Iris-message vision of Dionysus, Tantalus, and the whole camp in the dining pavilion. They sat in stunned silence, watching us.**

"Hey look, dinner and a show," Apollo chuckled, a dark glint in his eyes.

**"Well," said Dionysus dryly, "some unplanned dinner entertainment."**

**"Mr. D, you heard him," I said. "You all heard Luke. The poisoning of the tree wasn't Chiron's fault."**

**Mr. D sighed. "I suppose not."**

The demigods snorted.

**"The Iris-message could be a trick," Tantalus suggested, but his attention was mostly on his cheeseburger, which he was trying to corner with both hands.**

"_Chase a doughnut_," Leo sniggered with the reminder.

**"I fear not," Mr. D said, looking with distaste at Tantalus. "It appears I shall have to reinstate Chiron as activities director. I suppose I do miss the old horse's pinochle games."**

"I think that's about as fond as it's going to get," Thalia snorted with amusement.

**Tantalus grabbed the cheeseburger. It didn't bolt away from him. He lifted it from the plate and stared at it in amazement, as if it were the largest diamond in the world. "I got it!" he cackled.**

Zeus cocked a brow at Dionysus, as Annabeth began to giggle.

**"We are no longer in need of your services, Tantalus," Mr. D announced.**

**Tantalus looked stunned. "What? But—"**

**"You may return to the Underworld.**

Hades cackled.

**You are dismissed."**

**"No! But—Nooooooooooo!"**

Leo burst into hysterical laughter, kicking off Piper and Jason.

**As he dissolved into mist, his fingers clutched at the cheeseburger, trying to bring it to his mouth. But it was too late. He disappeared and the cheeseburger fell back onto its plate. The campers exploded into cheering.**

And a number of those within the room cheered in response.

**Luke bellowed with rage. He slashed his sword through the fountain and the Iris-message dissolved, but the deed was done. I was feeling pretty good about myself, until Luke turned and gave me a murderous look.**

"Not good," Apollo half-sang.

**"Kronos was right, Percy. You're an unreliable weapon. You need to be replaced."**

Thalia grimaced, and Annabeth exchanged a long look with her.

**I wasn't sure what he meant, but I didn't have time to think about it. One of his men blew a brass whistle, and the deck doors flew open. A dozen more warriors poured out, making a circle around us, the brass tips of their spears bristling.**

"_Damn_," Leo winced.

**Luke smiled at me. "You'll never leave this boat alive."**

"Chapter's finished," Hades rolled his eyes.

"I'll do it," Piper offered. "Chapter eighteen: The Party Ponies Invade."

* * *

I'm not sure how many of you will even read this AN, especially as you're probably eager to get to the next chapter; but I do want to know.

For those of you who have played, or at least know of, Dragon Age: Origins and/or Dragon Age 2, would any of you be interested if I wrote a playthrough-story for it? I've already got about ten (out of, like eighty) chapters written and I just want to know if anyone here would like to read it once it's posted.

In any case, hope you enjoyed the chapter!

~LastTruth


	46. Chapter 46

**The Party Ponies Invade**

"Party Ponies?" Leo grinned. "Cool!"

"They are all _kinds_ of freaking awesome!" Apollo crowed.

**"One on one," I challenged Luke. "What are you afraid of?"**

"He's tried that one before," Ares snorted.

**Luke curled his lip. The soldiers who were about to kill us hesitated, waiting for his order.**

Ares nodded approvingly.

**Before he could say anything, Agrius, the bear-man, burst onto the deck leading a flying horse. It was the first pure-black pegasus I'd ever seen, with wings like a giant raven. The pegasus mare bucked and whinnied.**

"Pegasi are incredibly beautiful animals," Artemis remarked, running a cloth along her bow.

**I could understand her thoughts. She was calling Agrius and Luke some names so bad Chiron would've washed her muzzle out with saddle soap.**

A number of people chuckled at that.

**"Sir!" Agrius called, dodging a pegasus hoof. "Your steed is ready!"**

"'Ready'," Nico snickered.

**Luke kept his eyes on me. "I told you last summer, Percy," he said. "You can't bait me into a fight."**

**"And you keep avoiding one," I noticed. "Scared your warriors will see you get whipped?"**

Ares cackled as the others shifted in anticipation.

**Luke glanced at his men, and he saw I'd trapped him. If he backed down now, he would look weak. If he fought me, he'd lose valuable time chasing after Clarisse.**

"A proper decision," Athena nodded, "though now he must live through this battle."

"No pressure," Thalia said dryly.

**For my part, the best I could hope for was to distract him, giving my friends a chance to escape.**

Poseidon grimaced.

**If anybody could think of a plan to get them out of there, Annabeth could.**

Annabeth smiled, a touch sadly.

**On the down side, I knew how good Luke was at sword-fighting.**

Hermes sighed.

**"I'll kill you quickly," he decided, and raised his weapon. Backbiter was a foot longer than my own sword. Its blade glinted with an evil grey-and-gold light where the human steel had been melded with celestial bronze.**

Hephaestus scowled with annoyance.

**I could almost feel the blade fighting against itself, like two opposing magnets bound together. I didn't know how the blade had been made, but I sensed a tragedy. Someone had died in the process.**

"Very astute of him," Hera remarked offhandedly.

"I'm not surprised," Hephaestus muttered, "such a sword would need blood to fold such opposite metals together."

**Luke whistled to one of his men, who threw him a round leather-and-bronze shield. He grinned at me wickedly.**

"Now Percy is even more at a disadvantage," Jason said grimly.

**"Luke," Annabeth said, "at least give him a shield."**

**"Sorry, Annabeth," he said. "You bring your own equipment to this party."**

Annabeth grimaced at that, shaking her head.

**The shield was a problem. Fighting two-handed with just a sword gives you more power, but fighting one-handed with a shield gives you better defence and versatility.**

"And as Percy was smaller, he will want to have the mobility," Nico remarked in a murmur.

**There are more moves, more options, more ways to kill. I thought back to Chiron, who'd told me to stay at camp no matter what, and learn to fight. Now I was going to pay for not listening to him.**

"You did not have a choice," Poseidon's eyes softened as he spoke.

**Luke lunged and almost killed me on the first try. His sword went under my arm, slashing through my shirt and grazing my ribs.**

"Ouch," Leo hissed in sympathy.

**I jumped back, then counterattacked with Riptide, but Luke slammed my blade away with his shield.**

**"My, Percy," Luke chided. "You're out of practice."**

"He said that at the beginning of the novel," Ares scoffed, "I'd almost forgotten that the punk was out of touch."

**He came at me again with a swipe to the head. I parried, returned with a thrust. He sidestepped easily.**

An almost stifling silence overtook the room.

**The cut on my ribs stung. My heart was racing. When Luke lunged again, I jumped backward into the swimming pool**

Poseidon blew out a slow breath at that.

**and felt a surge of strength. I spun underwater, creating a funnel cloud, and blasted out of the deep end, straight at Luke's face.**

"He's getting better at that," Poseidon sounded amused. "He's learning, or at least learning to use his imagination."

**The force of the water knocked him down, spluttering and blinded. But before I could strike, he rolled aside and was on his feet again.**

"Quick recovery time," Ares praised.

"Who's side are you on?" Apollo snorted.

"My own."

**I attacked and sliced off the edge of his shield, but that didn't even faze him. He dropped to a crouch and jabbed at my legs. Suddenly my thigh was on fire, with a pain so intense I collapsed.**

Ares scoffed as Piper inhaled sharply.

**My jeans were ripped above the knee. I was hurt. I didn't know how badly.**

"It could be bad," Jason said slowly, "after all, you do have a major artery in your thigh."

**Luke hacked downward and I rolled behind a deck chair. I tried to stand, but my leg wouldn't take the weight.**

"Damn," Nico hissed.

**"Perrrrrcy!" Grover bleated.**

**I rolled again as Luke's sword slashed the deck chair in half, metal pipes and all.**

"Not surprised with that one," Hephaestus rumbled.

**I clawed toward the swimming pool, trying hard not to black out. I'd never make it. **

**Luke knew it, too. He advanced slowly, smiling. The edge of his sword was tinged with red.**

Poseidon's expression became dark and foreboding.

**"One thing I want you to watch before you die, Percy." He looked at the bear-man Oreius, who was still holding Annabeth and Grover by the necks. "You can eat your dinner now, Oreius. Bon appetit."**

Athena's eyes flashed dangerously, as the room became quiet. Poseidon had stilled, the air around him became thick with tension.

**"He-he! He-he!" The bear-man lifted my friends and bared his teeth.**

**That's when all Hades broke loose.**

Said god snorted.

_**Whish!**_

**A red-feathered arrow sprouted from Oreius's mouth. With a surprised look on his hairy face, he crumpled to the deck.**

"Say what?"

"Chapter title, Leo," Thalia scoffed.

**"Brother!" Agrius wailed.**

Artemis grimaced.

**He let the pegasus's reins go slack just long enough for the black steed to kick him in the head and fly away free over Miami Bay.**

A number of people laughed at that.

**For a split second, Luke's guards were too stunned to do anything except watch the bear twins' bodies dissolve into smoke.**

"Good!" Nico said emphatically.

**Then there was a wild chorus of war cries and hooves thundering against metal. A dozen centaurs charged out of the main stairwell.**

Leo whooped and the air cleared with relief, grins adorning a multitude of faces.

**"Ponies!" Tyson cried with delight.**

**My mind had trouble processing everything I saw.**

Poseidon grimaced. "Blood loss, then."

**Chiron was among the crowd,**

Thalia grinned.

**but his relatives were almost nothing like him. There were centaurs with black Arabian stallion bodies, others with gold palomino coats, others with orange-and-white spots like paint horses.**

"Black Arabians are beautiful horses," Piper smiled. "I really like their coats."

**Some wore brightly coloured T-shirts with Day-Glo letters that said PARTY PONIES: SOUTH FLORIDA CHAPTER.**

"It's like a frat!" Leo crowed.

"What's a 'frat'?" Nico frowned.

"I'll tell you later, Nico," Thalia said dryly.

**Some were armed with bows, some with baseball bats, some with paintball guns.**

"Legit," Apollo cackled.

**One had his face painted like a Comanche warrior and was waving a large orange Styrofoam hand making a big Number I.**

A number of people laughed at that.

**Another was bare-chested and painted entirely green. A third had googly-eye glasses with the eyeballs bouncing around on Slinky coils,**

Leo laughed loudly.

**and one of those baseball caps with soda-can-and-straw attachments on either side.**

Nico snorted.

**They exploded onto the deck with such ferocity and colour that for a moment even Luke was stunned. I couldn't tell whether they had come to celebrate or attack.**

Poseidon chuckled. "I'm not sure anyone ever is, Percy."

**Apparently both. As Luke was raising his sword to rally his troops, a centaur shot a custom-made arrow with a leather boxing glove on the end. It smacked Luke in the face and sent him crashing into the swimming pool.**

"Like something out of Loony Tunes," Piper smiled.

**His warriors scattered. I couldn't blame them. Facing the hooves of a rearing stallion is scary enough, but when it's a centaur, armed with a bow and whooping it up in a soda-drinking hat, even the bravest warrior would retreat.**

"Drunk elephants," Annabeth snorted.

"What?" Leo questioned.

"An army leader led drunk elephants into battle to frighten the other army," Annabeth explained.

Ares cackled. "Hannibal, that guy was a bad ass."

**"Come get some!" yelled one of the party ponies.**

**They let loose with their paintball guns. A wave of blue and yellow exploded against Luke's warriors, blinding them and splattering them from head to toe.**

"Probably leaving behind a ton of bruises too," Leo snickered. "Paintballs _hurt_!"

**They tried to run, only to slip and fall.**

**Chiron galloped toward Annabeth and Grover, neatly plucked them off the deck, and deposited them on his back. I tried to get up, but my wounded leg still felt like it was on fire.**

"Ouch," Nico shook his head.

**Luke was crawling out of the pool.**

**"Attack, you fools.'" he ordered his troops. Somewhere down below deck, a large alarm bell thrummed.**

"Took them long enough," Jason snorted.

**I knew any second we would be swamped by Luke's reinforcements. Already, his warriors were getting over their surprise, coming at the centaurs with swords and spears drawn.**

"I'd suggest a quick retreat," Athena remarked.

**Tyson slapped half a dozen of them aside, knocking them over the guardrail into Miami Bay. But more warriors were coming up the stairs.**

"Like a flood," Poseidon said dryly.

"Brother dear, you've made a pun," Hades drawled.

"I'm so happy you've noticed," Poseidon drawled right back.

**"Withdraw, brethren!" Chiron said.**

**"You won't get away with this, horse man!" Luke shouted. **

"Witty," Ares snorted.

**He raised his sword, but got smacked in the face with another boxing glove arrow, and sat down hard in a deck chair.**

Hermes scoffed, shaking his head grimly.

**A palomino centaur hoisted me onto his back. "Dude, get your big friend!"**

**"Tyson!" I yelled. "Come on!"**

**Tyson dropped the two warriors he was about to tie into a knot and jogged after us. He jumped on the centaur's back.**

"He's not going to like that," Poseidon hummed.

**"Dude!" the centaur groaned, almost buckling under Tyson's weight. "Do the words 'low-carb diet' mean any thing to you?"**

"Probably not," Nico snorted.

**Luke's warriors were organizing themselves into a phalanx. But by the time they were ready to advance, the centaurs had galloped to the edge of the deck and fearlessly jumped the guardrail, as if it were a steeplechase and not ten stories above the ground.**

"I think they can handle it," Piper said, "you ever seen those horse shows?"

**I was sure we were going to die. We plummeted toward the docks, but the centaurs hit the asphalt with hardly a jolt and galloped off, whooping and yelling taunts at the _Princess Andromeda _as we raced into the streets of downtown Miami.**

**I have no idea what the Miamians thought as we galloped by.**

"They probably couldn't even see you," Apollo sniggered. "Those ponies are _fast_. Not as fast as _my_ car, obviously. But still."

"Because nothing is as fast as your car, twin, yes we know," Artemis rolled her eyes.

**Streets and buildings began to blur as the centaurs picked up speed. It felt as if space were compacting—as if each centaur step took us miles and miles.**

"That's because it is," Annabeth chuckled. "Very astute, Perce."

**In no time, we'd left the city behind. We raced through marshy fields of high grass and ponds and stunted trees.**

**Finally, we found ourselves in a trailer park at the edge of a lake. The trailers were all horse trailers, tricked out with televisions and mini-refrigerators and mosquito netting.**

"Not the type of place you'd expect Chiron to live," Jason chuckled, "I think he's been at Camp Half-Blood too long."

**We were in a centaur camp.**

**"Dude!" said a party pony as he unloaded his gear. "Did you see that bear guy? He was all like: 'Whoa, I have an arrow in my mouth!'"**

A number of people snorted.

**The centaur with the googly-eye glasses laughed. "That was awesome! Head slam!"**

**The two centaurs charged at each other full-force and knocked heads, then went staggering off in different directions with crazy grins on their faces.**

"Um, ow," Piper snorted.

**Chiron sighed. He set Annabeth and Grover down on a picnic blanket next to me. "I really wish my cousins wouldn't slam their heads together. They don't have the brain cells to spare."**

That made people chuckle.

**"Chiron," I said, still stunned by the fact that he was here. "You saved us."**

**He gave me a dry smile. "Well now, I couldn't very well let you die, especially since you've cleared my name."**

"He found that out fast," Hermes snorted, "bet you he asked Iris to watch for him."

**"But how did you know where we were?" Annabeth asked.**

**"Advanced planning, my dear. I figured you would wash up near Miami if you made it out of the Sea of Monsters alive. Almost everything strange washes up near Miami."**

"That certainly explains your ragtag group," Jason chuckled.

Piper nudged him. "You're one to talk," she teased.

**"Gee, thanks," Grover mumbled.**

**"No, no," Chiron said. "I didn't mean... Oh, never mind.**

"Chiron really seems to have a problem with putting his -er- _hoof_ in his mouth," Leo snickered. "Even worse than I do!"

"Only because you never put yourself in the position that you have to comfort people," Jason pointed out dryly.

"Shut up!" Leo laughed.

**I _am _glad to see you, my young satyr. The point is, I was able to eavesdrop on Percy's Iris-message and trace the signal. Iris and I have been friends for centuries. I asked her to alert me to any important communications in this area.**

"Nailed it," Hermes snorted.

**It then took no effort to convince my cousins to ride to your aid. As you see, centaurs can travel quite fast when we wish to. Distance for us is not the same as distance for humans."**

"Which is pretty cool," Apollo grinned.

**I looked over at the campfire, where three party ponies were teaching Tyson to operate a paintball gun. I hoped they knew what they were getting into.**

"They don't," Artemis and Athena chorused, sending each other wry looks.

**"So what now?" I asked Chiron. "We just let Luke sail away? He's got Kronos aboard that ship. Or parts of him, anyway."**

A number of people grimaced.

**Chiron knelt, carefully folding his front legs under neath him. He opened the medicine pouch on his belt and started to treat my wounds. "I'm afraid, Percy, that today has been something of a draw. We didn't have the strength of numbers to take that ship. Luke was not organized enough to pursue us. Nobody won."**

Leo sniggered, "heh, _nobody_."

"Shut up," Thalia told him dryly.

**"But we got the Fleece!" Annabeth said. "Clarisse is on her way back to camp with it right now."**

**Chiron nodded, though he still looked uneasy. "You are all true heroes.**

"Not really," Jason sighed, "you're not a true hero until you've died for your cause."

"Oh..." Piper sighed softly, "that's what your comment was about earlier."

Jason nodded grimly. "You can't deny that about mythology."

**And as soon as we get Percy fixed up,**

Poseidon exhaled slowly.

**you must return to Half-Blood Hill. The centaurs shall carry you."**

**"You're coming, too?" I asked.**

**"Oh yes, Percy. I'll be relieved to get home.**

"I bet," Thalia snorted.

**My brethren here simply do not appreciate Dean Martin's music.**

Apollo pouted.

**Besides, I must have some words with Mr. D. There's the rest of the summer to plan. So much training to do. And I want to see... I'm curious about the Fleece."**

"Aren't we all?" Artemis smiled sardonically.

**I didn't know exactly what he meant, but it made me worried about what Luke had said: _I was going to let you take the Fleece... once I was done with it._**

"Much seems to cloud around Luke Castellan," Athena remarked slowly.

"A bit Yoda-like there," Apollo snickered, Athena shot him a dry look.

**Had he just been lying? I'd learned with Kronos there was usually a plan within a plan.**

"Indeed," Zeus said darkly.

**The titan lord wasn't called the Crooked One for nothing. He had ways of getting people to do what he wanted without them ever realizing his true intentions.**

Hades grimaced, knowing that he was normally compared to his father in such regard.

**Over by the campfire, Tyson let loose with his paintball gun. A blue projectile splattered against one of the centaurs, hurling him backward into the lake. The centaur came up grinning, covered in swamp muck and blue paint, and gave Tyson two thumbs up.**

"Well, that's something," Piper giggled.

"You can say that again," Jason laughed, slinging an arm over her neck.

**"Annabeth," Chiron said, "perhaps you and Grover would go supervise Tyson and my cousins before they, ah, teach each other too many bad habits?"**

**Annabeth met his eyes. Some kind of understanding passed between them.**

"Time to talk to Percy," Apollo half-sang.

**"Sure, Chiron," Annabeth said. "Come on, goat boy."**

**"But I don't like paintball."**

**"Yes, you do." She hoisted Grover to his hooves and led him off toward the campfire.**

A number of people snickered as Annabeth just grinned and shook her head.

**Chiron finished bandaging my leg. "Percy, I had a talk with Annabeth on the way here. A talk about the prophecy."**

**Uh-oh, I thought.**

**"It wasn't her fault," I said. "I made her tell me."**

"That's one way of putting it," Zeus scoffed, folding his arms.

**His eyes flickered with irritation. I was sure he was going to chew me out, but then his look turned to weariness. "I suppose I could not expect to keep it secret forever."**

"No, you could not," Athena said simply.

**"So _am _I the one in the prophecy?"**

The gods exchanged looks and Nico and Thalia flinched.

**Chiron tucked his bandages back into his pouch. "I wish I knew, Percy. You're not yet sixteen. For now we must simply train you as best we can, and leave the future to the Fates."**

The demigods all grimaced at that.

**The Fates. I hadn't thought about those old ladies in a long time, but as soon as Chiron mentioned them, some thing clicked.**

"Oh?" Athena's brows raised.

**"That's what it meant," I said.**

**Chiron frowned. "That's what _what _meant?"**

**"Last summer. The omen from the Fates, when I saw them snip somebody's life string. I thought it meant I was going to die right away, but it's worse than that. It's got something to do with your prophecy. The death they foretold—it's going to happen when I'm sixteen."**

Athena's look turned uneasy. "That is quite the jump to make, and I would not be so certain."

"But for something like that to click in with him..." Apollo shook his head. "Percy's not the type to make that sort of jump without a true gut feeling behind it."

"And yet my daughter and Hades' boy are both sitting in front of us," Zeus pointed out. "We do not know."

Apollo grimaced. "I can't say I know for sure, but I think Percy's closer to the truth then we think."

"Which is not a comforting notion," Poseidon muttered dryly.

**Chiron's tail whisked nervously in the grass. "My boy, you can't be sure of that. We don't even know if the prophecy is about you."**

"He's only saying that because he was certain it was _me_," Thalia snorted, folding her arms across her chest in a look eerily similar to her father.

**"But there isn't any other half-blood child of the Big Three!"**

"Hey!" Nico and Thalia chorused unintentionally in protest.

**"That we know of."**

"Yet," Nico muttered.

**"And Kronos is rising. He's going to destroy Mount Olympus!"**

The gods grimaced.

**"He will try," Chiron agreed. "And Western Civilization along with it, if we don't stop him. But we _will _stop him. You will not be alone in that fight."**

"I'd hope not," Poseidon sighed.

**I knew he was trying to make me feel better, but I remembered what Annabeth had told me. It would come down to one hero. One decision that would save or destroy the West. And I felt sure the Fates had been giving me some kind of warning about that. Something terrible was going to happen, either to me or to somebody I was close to.**

A quiet aura fell over the pavilion at that.

**"I'm just a _kid, _Chiron," I said miserably. "What good is one lousy hero against something like Kronos?"**

Hestia smiled. "More than you know, young Perseus, more than you know."

**Chiron managed a smile. '"What good is one lousy hero'? Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain said something like that to me once, just before he single-handedly changed the course of your Civil War."**

"Which... doesn't sound as epic once you realize that it was between the Romans and the Greeks," Jason mused with a grin.

"I think you're alone in that sentiment, brother," Thalia teased, ruffling his hair.

**He pulled an arrow from his quiver and turned the razor-sharp tip so it glinted in the firelight.**

**"Celestial bronze, Percy. An immortal weapon. What would happen if you shot this at a human?"**

"Ooh, analogies," Leo snorted.

**"Nothing," I said. "It would pass right through."**

**"That's right," he said. "Humans don't exist on the same level as the immortals. They can't even be hurt by our weapons. But you, Percy—you are part god, part human. You live in both worlds. You can be harmed by both, and you can affect both. _That's _what makes heroes so special.**

"Indeed," Athena remarked with a small smile.

**You carry the hopes of humanity into the realm of the eternal. Monsters never die. They are reborn from the chaos and barbarism that is always bubbling underneath civilization, the very stuff that makes Kronos stronger. They must be defeated again and again, kept at bay. Heroes embody that struggle. You fight the battles humanity must win, every generation, in order to stay human. Do you understand?"**

"Power in humans that we rarely like to acknowledge," Apollo said, proud as he thought of such a description being applied to his own children. "But it's there, and it's _potent_."

**"I... I don't know."**

**"You must try, Percy. Because whether or not you are the child of the prophecy, Kronos thinks you might be. And after today, he will finally despair of turning you to his side.**

Poseidon looked fiercely proud at that.

**That _is _the only reason he hasn't killed you yet, you know. As soon as he's sure he can't use you, he will destroy you."**

"Luck be swift to you, Perseus Jackson," Artemis hummed.

**"You talk like you know him."**

**Chiron pursed his lips. "I _do _know him."**

The gods fell quiet and half of the demigods became grim as the other half exchanged confused looks.

**I stared at him. I sometimes forgot just how old Chiron was. "Is that why Mr. D blamed you when the tree was poisoned? Why you said some people don't trust you?"**

**"Indeed."**

"Rudely so," Apollo snorted.

**"But, Chiron... I mean, come on! Why would they think you'd ever betray the camp for Kronos?"**

"Blood and blood alone," Poseidon sighed.

**Chiron's eyes were deep brown, full of thousands of years of sadness. "Percy, remember your training. Remember your study of mythology. What is my connection to the titan lord?"**

**I tried to think, but I'd always gotten my mythology mixed up.**

"We know," Nico said dryly.

**Even now, when it was so real, so important to my own life, I had trouble keeping all the names and facts straight. I shook my head. "You, uh, owe Kronos a favour or something? He spared your life?"**

**"Percy," Chiron said, his voice impossibly soft. "The titan Kronos is my father."**

"And on that cheery note," Piper said, "the chapter's over."

"I'll take it, Pipes," Jason said. "Chapter nineteen: The Chariot Races Ends with a Bang."

* * *

I'll have you know that it's not even one in the morning yet. I guess I'm on review-withdrawal. Haha, kidding. Though, honestly, you guys do send me some of the best reviews. I do, on occasion, get the twitch-inducing question of when Percy will be showing up (because I have answered that question about fourteen separate times now [I'm exaggerating, it's more like four times] and I'd really like it if you guys sit patiently and I know it's difficult but he is coming in soon). But on the whole, you guys are really epic about reviewing. But as much as I like reviews, I write so other people are happy, not so that they praise me.

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	47. Chapter 47

**The Chariot Race Ends with a Bang**

"Another race?" Nico snorted and shook his head.

**We arrived in Long Island just after Clarisse, thanks to the centaurs' travel powers. **

**I rode on Chiron's back, but we didn't talk much, especially not about Kronos. I knew it had been difficult for Chiron to tell me. I didn't want to push him with more questions.**

"Kind of him," Hestia remarked softly.

**I mean, I've met plenty of embarrassing parents, but Kronos, the evil titan lord who wanted to destroy Western Civilization? Not the kind of dad you invited to school for career day.**

A number of people snorted at that.

**When we got to camp, the centaurs were anxious to meet Dionysus. They'd heard he threw some really wild parties, but they were disappointed. The wine god was in no mood to celebrate as the whole camp gathered at the top of Half-Blood Hill.**

"Ah, come on, D!" Apollo snickered.

"Do be quiet, Apollo," Dionysus glared.

**The camp had been through a hard two weeks. The arts and crafts cabin had burned to the ground from an attack by a _Draco Aionius_**

"Ouch," Apollo sighed.

**(which as near as I could figure was Latin for "really-big-lizard-with-breath-that-blows-stuff-up ").**

"Well, nice to see that Percy's back to normal," Leo snickered.

**The Big House's rooms were overflowing with wounded.**

The gods with children at camp looked faintly worried (though, they'd never admit it).

**The kids in the Apollo cabin, who were the best healers, had been working overtime performing first aid.**

Apollo grinned proudly at that.

**Everybody looked weary and battered as we crowded around Thalia's tree.**

A wary look overcame Thalia's face at that, wondering when they'd get to her bit.

**The moment Clarisse draped the Golden Fleece over the lowest bough, the moonlight seemed to brighten, turning from grey to liquid silver.**

Artemis cocked a brow.

**A cool breeze rustled in the branches and rippled through the grass, all the way into the valley. Everything came into sharper focus—the glow of the fireflies down in the woods, the smell of the strawberry fields, the sound of the waves on the beach.**

The gods who dealt with nature all nodded approvingly.

**Gradually, the needles on the pine tree started turning from brown to green.**

Zeus exhaled slowly, relief loosening his chest.

**Everybody cheered. It was happening slowly, but there could be no doubt—the Fleece's magic was seeping into the tree, filling it with new power and expelling the poison.**

"Wonderful," Hera's words were kind, but her smile was just a touch too tight to be real.

**Chiron ordered a twenty-four/seven guard duty on the hilltop, at least until he could find an appropriate monster to protect the Fleece.**

Zeus nodded in approval.

**He said he'd place an ad in _Olympus Weekly _right away.**

**In the meantime, Clarisse was carried on her cabin mates' shoulders down to the amphitheatre, where she was honoured with a laurel wreath and a lot of celebrating around the campfire.**

Ares smirked.

**Nobody gave Annabeth or me a second look.**

Annabeth smiled faintly.

**It was as if we'd never left. In a way, I guess that was the best thank-you anyone could give us, because if they admitted we'd snuck out of camp to do the quest, they'd have to expel us.**

"Yeah, that would be a bit of an issue," Piper giggled.

**And really, I didn't want any more attention. It felt good to be just one of the campers for once.**

Poseidon smiled at his son's modesty.

**Later that night, as we were roasting s'mores and listening to the Stoll brothers tell us a ghost story about an evil king who was eaten alive by demonic breakfast pastries,**

The group chuckled and Hermes grinned broadly.

**Clarisse shoved me from behind and whispered in my ear, "Just because you were cool one time, Jackson, don't think you're off the hook with Ares.**

Ares scoffed at the mere thought.

**I'm still waiting for the right opportunity to pulverize you."**

"Good girl," Ares nodded.

Artemis scowled something fierce.

**I gave her a grudging smile.**

**"What?" she demanded.**

**"Nothing," I said. "Just good to be home."**

"That's certainly true," Annabeth chuckled.

**The next morning, after the party ponies headed back to Florida, Chiron made a surprise announcement: the chariot races would go ahead as scheduled. **

"Damn," Leo laughed in surprise, "wasn't expecting that."

"Trust me," Annabeth commented, "no one was."

**We'd all figured they were history now that Tantalus was gone, but completing them did feel like the right thing to do, especially now that Chiron was back and the camp was safe.**

"And it will be awesome too!" Apollo crowed. "It will be epic to see how my kids kick ass!"

**Tyson wasn't too keen on the idea of getting back in a chariot after our first experience, but he was happy to let me team up with Annabeth.**

Athena smirked and Poseidon chuckled, both knowing that their children paired would make a strong team.

**I would drive, Annabeth would defend, and Tyson would act as our pit crew. While I worked with the horses, Tyson fixed up Athena's chariot and added a whole bunch of special modifications.**

"I did next to nothing to prep for that race," Annabeth laughed quietly. "The boys pretty much had it all down."

**We spent the next two days training like crazy. Annabeth and I agreed that if we won, the prize of no chores for the rest of the month would be split between our two cabins.**

"Fair," Zeus muttered.

**Since Athena had more campers, they would get most of the time off, which was fine by me. I didn't care about the prize. I just wanted to win.**

Poseidon chuckled again, his eyes twinkling.

**The night before the race, I stayed late at the stables. I was talking to our horses, giving them one final brushing,**

"They will appreciate that," Poseidon remarked.

**when somebody right behind me said, "Fine animals, horses. Wish I'd thought of them."**

Hermes cocked a brow, curious.

**A middle-aged guy in a postal carrier outfit was leaning against the stable door. He was slim, with curly black hair under his white pith helmet, and he had a mailbag slung over his shoulder.**

Apollo nudged his half-brother teasingly.

**"Hermes?" I stammered.**

**"Hello, Percy. Didn't recognize me without my jogging clothes?"**

A few people chuckled.

**"Uh..." I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to kneel or buy stamps from him**

Hermes chortled at that.

**or what. Then it occurred to me why he must be here. "Oh, listen, Lord Hermes, about Luke..."**

Hermes flinched at the name.

**The god arched his eyebrows.**

**"Uh, we saw him, all right," I said, "but—"**

**"You weren't able to talk sense into him?"**

"That's one way of putting it," Nico muttered.

"Obstinacy is an unfortunate trait in this family, Son of Hades," Hermes told him dryly. "All three of the brothers have it, and the majority of their children inherited it."

Artemis snorted. "Indeed."

**"Well, we kind of tried to kill each other in a duel to the death."**

"Subtle, seaweed brain," Thalia said dryly.

**"I see. You tried the diplomatic approach."**

"Sassy," Apollo teased.

**"I'm really sorry. I mean, you gave us those awesome gifts and everything. And I know you wanted Luke to come back. But... he's turned bad. _Really _bad. He said he feels like you abandoned him."**

**I waited for Hermes to get angry. I figured he'd turn me into a hamster or something,**

Hermes chuckled and shook his head, a grim edge to his expression and laugh.

**and I did _not _want to spend any more time as a rodent.**

"I wouldn't reckon you would," Piper remarked.

**Instead, he just sighed. "Do you ever feel your father abandoned _you, _Percy?"**

Poseidon stilled.

**Oh, man.**

**I wanted to say, "Only a few hundred times a day."**

The demigods fell quiet, all sympathizing with Percy.

**I hadn't spoken to Poseidon since last summer. I'd never been to his underwater palace. And then there was the whole thing with Tyson—no warning, no explanation. Just _boom, _you have a brother. You'd think that deserved a little heads-up phone call or something.**

Poseidon grimaced but said nothing. The rules governing their interactions with their offspring were... strict, to put it mildly. He wished he could do more for his youngest son but, sadly, he could not.

**The more I thought about it, the angrier I got.**

"Not good," Jason muttered.

**I realized I _did _want recognition for the quest I'd completed, but not from the other campers. I wanted my dad to say something. To notice me.**

Poseidon grimaced, his expression stoic.

**Hermes readjusted the mailbag on his shoulder. "Percy, the hardest part about being a god is that you must often act indirectly, especially when it comes to your own children.**

Zeus glared at any who dared to look at him.

**If we were to intervene every time our children had a problem… well, that would only create more problems and more resentment.**

"Very true," Zeus rumbled. "Now be silent."

**But I believe if you give it some thought, you will see that Poseidon _has _been paying attention to you.**

Poseidon didn't react, though the light in his green eyes grew stronger to chase away the darkness and anger.

**He has answered your prayers. I can only hope that some day, Luke may realize the same about me. Whether you feel like you succeeded or not, you reminded Luke who he was. You spoke to him."**

Annabeth and Thalia exchanged sad looks.

**"I tried to kill him."**

**Hermes shrugged. "Families are messy. Immortal families are eternally messy.**

"Hermes, that was downright profound!" Apollo faked a tear, slinging his arm over Hermes' shoulders.

"I feel like I should be getting a Nobel Prize," Hermes replied dryly.

**Sometimes the best we can do is to remind each other that we're related, for better or worse… and try to keep the maiming and killing to a minimum."**

A few people chuckled at that.

**It didn't sound like much of a recipe for the perfect family. Then again, as I thought about my quest, I realized maybe Hermes was right.**

"Just maybe," Hermes commented dryly.

**Poseidon had sent the hippocampi to help us. He'd given me powers over the sea that I'd never known about before.**

Poseidon chuckled. "I'm afraid, Percy, that it is your own birthright. I did not consciously give you thus."

**And there was Tyson. Had Poseidon brought us together on purpose? How many times had Tyson saved my life this summer?**

"That's certainly true," Piper said softly.

**In the distance, the conch horn sounded, signalling curfew.**

**"You should get to bed," Hermes said. "I've helped you get into quite enough trouble this summer already.**

"Oh no," Annabeth chuckled dryly, "we did that on our own."

**I really only came to make this delivery."**

**"A delivery?"**

A number of people looked curious at that.

**"I _am _the messenger of the gods, Percy."**

A few chuckled.

**He took an electronic signature pad from his mailbag and handed it to me. "Sign there, please."**

**I picked up the stylus before realizing it was entwined with a pair of tiny green snakes. **

**"Ah!" I dropped the pad.**

George and Martha both hissed at the thought.

**_Ouch, _said George.**

**_Really, Percy, _Martha scolded. _Would _you _want to be dropped on the floor of a horse stable?_**

Leo snickered.

**"Oh, uh, sorry." I didn't much like touching snakes,**

Piper shuddered.

**but I picked up the pad and the stylus again. Martha and George wriggled under my fingers, forming a kind of pencil grip like the ones my special ed teacher made me use in second grade.**

"I had to use that too," Leo grimaced. "Uncomfortable, that was!"

**_Did you bring me a rat? _George asked.**

**"No…" I said. "Uh, we didn't find any."**

_**What about a guinea pig?**_

A number of people choked on a laugh at that.

**_George! _Martha chided. _Don't tease the boy._**

"No, do it! It's funny!" Apollo sniggered.

**I signed my name and gave the pad back to Hermes.**

**In exchange, he handed me a sea-blue envelope.**

Poseidon cocked a brow.

**My fingers trembled. Even before I opened it, I could tell it was from my father. I could sense his power in the cool blue paper, as if the envelope itself had been folded out of an ocean wave.**

"It had been," Poseidon remarked mildly.

"That's... really cool," Leo commented.

**"Good luck tomorrow," Hermes said. "Fine team of horses you have there, though you'll excuse me if I root for the Hermes cabin."**

Hermes chuckled contentedly.

**_And don't be too discouraged when you read it, dear, _Martha told me. _He _does _have your interests at heart._**

Poseidon frowned, curious at what his future self had written.

**"What do you mean?" I asked.**

**_Don't mind her, _George said. _And next time, remember, snakes work for tips._**

**"Enough, you two," Hermes said. "Goodbye, Percy. For now."**

"Ominous, little brother," Apollo snorted.

**Small white wings sprouted from his pith helmet. He began to glow, and I knew enough about the gods to avert my eyes before he revealed his true divine form. With a brilliant white flash he was gone, and I was alone with the horses.**

"I think Tyson would protest that horses are perfectly fine company, thank you very much," Thalia remarked.

**I stared at the blue envelope in my hands. It was addressed in strong but elegant handwriting that I'd seen once before, on a package Poseidon had sent me last summer.**

A number of people snorted at that. Everyone definitely remembered the package in question.

_**Percy Jackson**_

_**Camp Half-Blood**_

_**Farm Road 3.141**_

_**Long Island, New York 11954**_

**An actual letter from my father.**

"Those are rare," Jason murmured.

**Maybe he would tell me I'd done a good job getting the Fleece. He'd explain about Tyson, or apologize for not talking to me sooner. There were so many things that I wanted that letter to say.**

Poseidon grimaced, already knowing that the letter would hold nothing that Percy was hoping for.

**I opened the envelope and unfolded the paper.**

**Two simple words were printed in the middle of the page:**

_**Brace Yourself**_

"And they call me cruel," Hades drawled.

Poseidon shot him a filthy look. "I'm certain I had a very good reason for sending such a letter."

"Of course, brother."

"The contents are most curious," Athena mused. "I do wonder at the contents."

**The next morning, everybody was buzzing about the chariot race, though they kept glancing nervously toward the sky like they expected to see Stymphalian birds gathering.**

Apollo snickered and Dionysus rolled his eyes.

**None did. It was a beautiful summer day with blue sky and plenty of sunshine. The camp had started to look the way it should look: the meadows were green and lush; the white columns gleamed on the Greek buildings; dryads played happily in the woods.**

The demigods grinned at one another, pleased that the camp was -once again- healthy.

**And I was miserable. I'd been lying awake all night, thinking about Poseidon's warning.**

Poseidon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

_**Brace yourself.**_

**I mean, he goes to the trouble of writing a letter, and he writes two words?**

"A valid point," Aphrodite pouted at Poseidon. "Being rude to a favourite of mine, Poseidon. Naughty."

Poseidon rolled his eyes. "I'm certain it was an important two words. And I'd like to remind you that despite him being a favourite of yours, Aphrodite, he is still _my_ son."

**Martha the snake had told me not to feel disappointed. Maybe Poseidon had a reason for being so vague. Maybe he didn't know exactly what he was warning me about, but he sensed something big was about to happen— something that could completely knock me off my feet unless I was prepared.**

"That does sound likely," Athena said idly. "Though we cannot know for certain."

"Not until it happens, at least," Apollo said dryly.

**It was hard, but I tried to turn my thoughts to the race.**

**As Annabeth and I drove onto the track, I couldn't help admiring the work Tyson had done on the Athena chariot.**

Athena's smile became slightly smug.

**The carriage gleamed with bronze reinforcements. The wheels were realigned with magical suspension so we glided along with hardly a bump. The rigging for the horses was so perfectly balanced that the team turned at the slightest tug of the reins.**

"...fair," Hephaestus rumbled. "He could do better, though."

"Why, husband," Aphrodite said dryly, "coming from you, that's practically a blessing."

Hephaestus just grunted.

**Tyson had also made us two javelins, each with three buttons on the shaft.**

Leo bounced in his spot, eager to hear what Tyson had made.

**The first button primed the javelin to explode on impact, releasing razor wire that would tangle and shred an opponent's wheels.**

"Diabolical," Thalia whistled.

**The second button produced a blunt (but still very painful)**

Ares snorted. "Anything's painful with enough force behind it, dumb punk."

**bronze spearhead designed to knock a driver out of his carriage. The third button brought up a grappling hook that could be used to lock onto an enemy's chariot or push it away.**

"Those are smart," Leo remarked cheerfully. "Go Tyson!"

**I figured we were in pretty good shape for the race, but Tyson still warned me to be careful. The other chariot teams had plenty of tricks up their togas.**

A few people snorted.

**"Here," he said, just before the race began.**

**He handed me a wristwatch.**

Annabeth smiled as a few looked confused.

**There wasn't anything special about it—just a white-and-silver clock face, a black leather strap—but as soon as I saw it I realized that this is what I'd seen him tinkering on all summer.**

"Must be something really good then," Jason mused.

**I didn't usually like to wear watches. Who cared what time it was?**

Annabeth snorted and rolled her eyes.

**But I couldn't say no to Tyson.**

**"Thanks, man." I put it on and found it was surprisingly light and comfortable. I could hardly tell I was wearing it.**

"Wish I had one," Nico chuckled.

"Wow, you actually laughed without your face cracking," Leo snickered. "Normally, you're all broody."

Nico tossed him an annoyed look. "That does tend to happen when I'm around fools."

"There you go! Now _that's_ normal!"

"Shut up."

**"Didn't finish in time for the trip," Tyson mumbled. "Sorry, sorry."**

**"Hey, man. No big deal."**

**"If you need protection in race," he advised, "hit the button."**

Annabeth laughed suddenly.

**"Ah, okay." I didn't see how keeping time was going to help a whole lot, but I was touched that Tyson was concerned. I promised him I'd remember the watch. "And, hey, um, Tyson..."**

"Awkward moments ahoy," Leo sniggered.

"Shh!" Piper nudged him.

**He looked at me.**

**"I wanted to say, well..." I tried to figure out how to apologize for getting embarrassed about him before the quest, for telling everyone he wasn't my real brother. It wasn't easy to find the words.**

"It never is," Hermes chuckled.

"For you, maybe," Apollo teased, "me, I'm the epitome of smooth!"

Hermes cocked a brow at him. "Oh yes, you're real slick. So slick you just slide away whenever something bad happens."

"...do not."

"Whatever you say."

**"I know what you will tell me," Tyson said, looking ashamed. "Poseidon did care for me after all."**

**"Uh, well—"**

"Not exactly," Nico said dryly.

**"He sent you to help me. Just what I asked for."**

**I blinked. "You asked Poseidon for... me?"**

"He sounds so confused," Hestia remarked, "almost as if it's more surprising that it was _him_ who was asked for rather than Tyson asking for help at all."

"I highly doubt that the brat is that smart," Dionysus scoffed.

"Doubt all you wish, I believe it to be truth."

**"For a friend," Tyson said, twisting his shirt in his hands. "Young Cyclopes grow up alone on the streets, learn to make things out of scraps. Learn to survive."**

A few demigods exchanged looks, knowing exactly what that felt like.

**"But that's so cruel!"**

**He shook his head earnestly. "Makes us appreciate blessings, not be greedy and mean and fat like Polyphemus.**

"Never thought of it like that," Thalia muttered.

**But I got scared. Monsters chased me so much, clawed me sometimes—"**

"Ouch, harsh man," Leo winced.

**"The scars on your back?"**

**A tear welled in his eye. "Sphinx on Seventy-second Street. Big bully.**

"I bet," Jason muttered.

**I prayed to Daddy for help. Soon the people at Meriwether found me. Met you. Biggest blessing ever. Sorry I said Poseidon was mean. He sent me a brother."**

Poseidon smiled softly, Tyson really was a wonderful kid.

**I stared at the watch that Tyson had made me.**

**"Percy!" Annabeth called. "Come on!"**

**Chiron was at the starting line, ready to blow the conch.**

"And here we go," Apollo grinned.

**"Tyson..." I said.**

**"Go," Tyson said. "You will win!"**

**"I—yeah, okay, big guy. We'll win this one for you."**

Hestia smiled.

**I climbed on board the chariot and got into position just as Chiron blew the starting signal.**

Apollo whooped with excitement.

**The horses knew what to do. We shot down the track so fast I would've fallen out if my arms hadn't been wrapped in the leather reins.**

A few people chuckled.

**Annabeth held on tight to the rail. The wheels glided beautifully. We took the first turn a full chariot-length ahead of Clarisse, who was busy trying to fight off a javelin attack from the Stoll brothers in the Hermes chariot.**

Ares shot Hermes a glare, the messenger god just chuckled amiably.

**"We've got 'em!" I yelled, but I spoke too soon.**

"Way to jinx it, seaweed brain," Thalia snorted.

**"Incoming!" Annabeth yelled. She threw her first javelin in grappling hook mode, knocking away a lead-weighted net that would have entangled us both.**

"Pleasebemykidspleasebemykidspleasebemykids!" Apollo chanted, practically bouncing in his chair.

**Apollo's chariot had come up on our flank.**

"DAMN STRAIGHT!" Apollo cheered loudly.

"Twin!" Artemis protested, her ear ringing.

**Before Annabeth could rearm herself, the Apollo warrior threw a javelin into our right wheel. The javelin shattered, but not before snapping some of our spokes.**

"Uh oh," Piper said, giggling slightly from the excitement in the air.

**Our chariot lurched and wobbled. I was sure the wheel would collapse altogether, but we somehow kept going.**

"The cyclops is good," Hephaestus remarked.

**I urged the horses to keep up the speed. We were now neck and neck with Apollo. Hephaestus was coming up close behind.**

Leo whooped and Hephaestus' beard twitched in some semblance of a smile.

**Ares and Hermes were falling behind, riding side by side as Clarisse went sword-on-javelin with Connor Stoll.**

Hermes just grinned and shook his head as Ares sulked (though he'd never admit it).

**If we took one more hit to our wheel, I knew we would capsize.**

**"You're mine!" the driver from Apollo yelled. He was a first-year camper. I didn't remember his name, but he sure was confident.**

"A trait of the Apollo kids," Hermes declared.

Apollo pouted at him.

**"Yeah, right!" Annabeth yelled back.**

**She picked up her second javelin—a real risk considering we still had one full lap to go—and threw it at the Apollo driver.**

**Her aim was perfect.**

Athena chuckled and Apollo's pout deepened as he slid down in his seat.

**The javelin grew a heavy spear point just as it caught the driver in the chest, knocking him against his teammate and sending them both toppling out of their chariot in a backward somersault.**

Piper grinned. "Go Annabeth!"

"Ah, that sucks!" Apollo whined.

**The horses felt the reins go slack and went crazy, riding straight for the crowd. Campers scrambled for cover as the horses leaped the corner of the bleachers and the golden chariot flipped over.**

A number of people laughed at that.

**The horses galloped back toward their stable, dragging the upside-down chariot behind them.**

**I held our own chariot together through the second turn, despite the groaning of the right wheel. We passed the starting line and thundered into our final lap.**

Poseidon and Athena both looked smug at that.

**The axle creaked and moaned. The wobbling wheel was making us lose speed, even though the horses were responding to my every command, running like a well-oiled machine.**

"Well, of course they are," Jason grinned, "your dad pretty much created them."

"No 'pretty much' about it," Poseidon corrected with a chuckle.

**The Hephaestus team was still gaining.**

**Beckendorf grinned as he pressed a button on his command console. Steel cables shot out of the front of his mechanical horses, wrapping around our back rail.**

Hephaestus smirked and Leo grinned deviously.

**Our chariot shuddered as Beckendorf's winch system started working—pulling us backward while Beckendorf pulled himself forward.**

"Brilliant idea," Thalia praised with a grin.

**Annabeth cursed and drew her knife. She hacked at the cables but they were too thick.**

**"Can't cut them.'" she yelled.**

"At least, not as fast as we needed to," Annabeth corrected.

**The Hephaestus chariot was now dangerously close, their horses about to trample us underfoot.**

"Not good," Nico said.

**"Switch with me!" I told Annabeth. "Take the reins!"**

**"But—"**

**"Trust me!"**

Aphrodite giggled.

**She pulled herself to the front and grabbed the reins. I turned, trying hard to keep my footing, and uncapped Riptide. I slashed down and the cables snapped like kite string.**

Annabeth huffed and muttered something under her breath about boys and their swords.

**We lurched forward, but Beckendorf's driver just swung his chariot to our left and pulled up next to us. **

**Beckendorf drew his sword. He slashed at Annabeth, and I parried the blade away.**

"Good little knight," Aphrodite cooed and then giggled.

**We were coming up on the last turn. We'd never make it. I needed to disable the Hephaestus chariot and get it out of the way, but I had to protect Annabeth, too. **

Annabeth scoffed and rolled her eyes, even as her face flushed with (pleased) embarrassment.

**Just because Beckendorf was a nice guy didn't mean he wouldn't send us both to the infirmary if we let our guard down.**

"That's pretty much Percy too, once you think about it," Thalia snorted.

"Yeah, but Percy's got a temper," Nico pointed out.

"The two don't contradict! He's still a nice guy, he's just got a temper."

**We were neck and neck now, Clarisse coming up from behind, making up for lost time.**

Ares cackled at that.

**"See ya, Percy!" Beckendorf yelled. "Here's a little parting gift!"**

**He threw a leather pouch into our chariot. It stuck to the floor immediately and began billowing green smoke.**

**"Greek fire!" Annabeth yelled.**

"Not good, I take it?" Jason questioned mildly.

"No," the Greek demigods replied flatly.

**I cursed. I'd heard stories about what Greek fire could do. I figured we had maybe ten seconds before it exploded.**

"Long ten seconds, I reckon," Thalia said dryly.

**"Get rid of it!" Annabeth shouted, but I couldn't. Hephaestus's chariot was still alongside, waiting until the last second to make sure their little present blew up.**

Leo cackled, totally unrepentant about it.

**Beckendorf was keeping me busy with his sword. If I let my guard down long enough to deal with the Greek fire, Annabeth would get sliced and we'd crash anyway.**

"A well-formed strategy," Athena said, though it was obvious that she said it grudgingly.

**I tried to kick the leather pouch away with my foot, but I couldn't. It was stuck fast.**

**Then I remembered the watch.**

"Finally," Piper grinned "though I shouldn't say that, I forgot about it too."

**I didn't know how it could help, but I managed to punch the stopwatch button. Instantly, the watch changed. It expanded, the metal rim spiralling outward like an old-fashioned camera shutter, a leather strap wrapping around my forearm until I was holding a round war shield**

[The best way to describe Leo's reaction to this would be a keyboard smash. However, the muse's would prefer to keep the record of this meeting between the demigods and the gods at a certain level of quality, thank you very much. The only thing anyone was able to discern from Leo's outburst was this:]

"That is SO FREAKING COOL!"

**four feet wide, the inside soft leather, the outside polished bronze engraved with designs I didn't have time to examine.**

**All I knew: Tyson had come through. I raised the shield, and Beckendorf's sword clanged against it. His blade shattered.**

"Very well done," Hephaestus was, most certainly, impressed with the cyclops. Poseidon merely smirked.

**"What?" he shouted. "How—"**

**He didn't have time to say more because I knocked him in the chest with my new shield and sent him flying out of his chariot, tumbling in the dirt.**

Annabeth grinned.

**I was about use Riptide to slash at the driver when Annabeth yelled, "Percy!"**

**The Greek fire was shooting sparks.**

"Better get rid of that quick," Jason advised.

"Thanks Tips," Piper teased.

"Hush you."

**I shoved the tip of my sword under the leather pouch and flipped it up like a spatula. The firebomb dislodged and flew into the Hephaestus chariot at the driver's feet. He yelped.**

The group laughed.

**In a split second the driver made the right choice: he dove out of the chariot, which careened away and exploded in green flames. The metal horses seemed to short-circuit.**

"Thank the gods they weren't _real_ horses," Piper shuddered. "That would've been bad!"

**They turned and dragged the burning wreckage back toward Clarisse and the Stoll brothers, who had to swerve to avoid it.**

"Built in distraction," Leo snickered. "Even if it wasn't intentional."

**Annabeth pulled the reins for the last turn. I held on, sure we would capsize, but somehow she brought us through and spurred the horses across the finish line. The crowd roared.**

A few people cheered as Poseidon and Athena smirked; Annabeth just grinned.

**Once the chariot stopped, our friends mobbed us.**

"I wouldn't doubt it," Thalia grinned.

**They started chanting our names, but Annabeth yelled over the noise: "Hold up! Listen! It wasn't just us!"**

**The crowd didn't want to be quiet, but Annabeth made herself heard:**

"Bossy," Thalia teased, nudging her.

"Definitely," Annabeth grinned back.

**"We couldn't have done it without somebody else! We couldn't have won this race or gotten the Fleece or saved Grover or anything! We owe our lives to Tyson, Percy's..."**

**"Brother!" I said, loud enough for everybody to hear. "Tyson, my baby brother."**

A number of people grinned at that and Hestia nodded approvingly.

**Tyson blushed. The crowd cheered. Annabeth planted a kiss on my cheek.**

Apollo wolf-whistled at that and Annabeth flushed.

"Well then," Poseidon chuckled in amusement.

**The roaring got a lot louder after that. The entire Athena cabin lifted me and Annabeth and Tyson onto their shoulders and carried us toward the winner's platform, where Chiron was waiting to bestow the laurel wreaths.**

"And that's the end of the-"

"Jason?"

Jason cut himself off in the middle of his sentence, looking up with a frown. His eyes widened once he realized who it was and scrambled to his feet.

"Frank?" He asked, his eyes wide. "Hazel?"

* * *

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN

I know, I know, I can hear you all screaming about Percy and what-not. I told you he'd show up, I never specified when. And besides, when he does show up, all of you will feel like bosses for being able to wait for so long. I promise, he will show up sometime in the early third book. By promise, I mean that he _will_ show up in the second chapter.

I'll see you guys on Canada Day or on Tuesday for the next two chapters.

Hope you enjoyed!

~LastTruth


	48. IMPORTANT

Hello everyone,

I have some news for you all.

A person upon this site has decided to send me an email detailing the rules that state that I am not allowed to post Character Read stories.

I did witness the mass-removal of all CR stories in the Harry Potter section and thus, can only wonder what I am to do.

In truth, I don't want to move from FF because I know that I'll lose not on;y a fair number of readers, but it's also difficult to adapt to a site I don't know well.

My only thought would be to move to tumblr, but despite my normal usage of the site, I'm still on the learning curve of how to post stories and such.

Perhaps nothing will come of it, but for some reason, I doubt that.

I just wanted to keep you all in the loop for what may, or may not, happen.

Sorry about all of this guys.

~LastTruth


	49. Chapter 49

The boy who had spoken, presumably Frank, smiled uncomfortably. He wasn't as tall as Jason, but he had a large and stocky frame that made him seem bigger. He had Asian features with dark brown eyes and wiry, short black hair. Wearing dark slacks, a purple shirt with the letters SPQR written in yellow on the front and a grey zip-up hoodie underneath a dirty jean jacket. He shifted his weight from foot to foot uncomfortably as the silence dragged on.

"Frank Zhang," Jason grinned broadly, coming forward to clap him on the shoulder. "You must be, Nico told me about you. And Hazel, it's good to see you!"

Hazel was an African-American girl with shoulder-length curly brown hair and glimmering gold eyes. She was fairly small, easily the smallest of the demigods. She wore jean shorts with converse shoes, and the same purple shirt as Frank; Hazel also wore a black zip-up over top.

"Err... Nico told you about me?" Frank asked, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Jason nodded. "He did. I wanted to know more about who was travelling with-"

"Wait, Jason," Hazel shook her head, "what're you doing here? We thought you were with the Greeks!"

"I _am_ with the Greeks," Jason told her, gesturing to the demigods who were slowly climbing to their feet. "But what are you lot doing here?"

"We don't know," Hazel replied. "We were travelling back to Camp Jupiter after completing our quest, we were almost there too! But then-"

"Let me guess," Nico interrupted, "a flash of light and here you are?"

"More or less," Hazel replied miserably. "It's good too see you, though, Nico."

"This is your sister?" Annabeth asked Nico, her eyes sharp. "The one you told me about?"

"Yes, Annabeth, this is-"

"Annabeth?"

He had been hidden behind Frank and Hazel, but at the sound of her name, he pushed his way forward; a frantic look in his eyes. Unmistakeable sea-green eyes peered out desperately from under messy black hair. He was tall and lithely muscled with lightly tanned skin. He wore cargo shorts and sneakers; a black button-up shirt was on his torso, the sleeves were rolled to his elbows and the shirt hung open to show his own purple SPQR t-shirt. A tattoo on his forearm had the SPQR symbol and a trident burnt into his arm.

"Annabeth," he breathed, his body relaxing as though he were a dying man who finally found salvation.

Annabeth, however, began to tremble. Her hands flew up to her mouth as she stared at him; then, as if in a dream, she began to walk forward. Standing barely a foot away from Percy, she glared at him, as though checking to make sure it was really him. After a long moment, her eyes softened and her hand reached up to touch his jaw. Percy let her, his gaze never let hers as though her were trying to soak in every detail of her face.

"You look stupid in purple, Seaweed Brain," she said at last.

Percy gave her a lopsided grin. "Next to you, I always look stupid, Wise Girl."

Her shoulders began to shake at that as her eyes teared up. Percy looked worried for a moment before her fist swung out and caught him firmly on the jaw. Percy's head snapped backward and his balance wavered, forcing him to take a step back so he didn't hit the floor. Before he could gain his balance, however, Annabeth's hands snapped out to fist themselves in his collar as she jerked him down and pressed her lips to his.

"Well, I guess that answers that question," came Apollo's laugh.

Separating, Annabeth and Percy both flushed and grinned sheepishly. Though, Percy's smile soon melted off of his face as a thought occurred to him.

"Hang on," he said, "does someone want to tell us what's going on?"

"Well you know, Percy, we had to wait for you two to stop sucking face first," Thalia told him with a laugh. "Come on, we'll bring you up to speed."

It was some time later when everyone had been brought up to speed on what had transpired so far. The demigods had shifted on the large couch so that Hazel, Frank, Jason, and Piper sat on the floor with Annabeth, Percy, Thalia, Nico, and Leo sitting on the couch. They were all comfortable enough, but if any more showed up then they were going to have to get another couch. Or just sit on the floor. Either one.

"So... we've been brought here to... read about me?" Percy surmised.

"More like to help the gods clarify on what they read about their future," Annabeth said.

"And that means reading about me?"

"From your point of view, yes."

"Then why are we here?" Hazel asked. "Why involve me or Frank or Jason?"

"She's right," Leo piped up. "Me an' Pipes aren't involved in this either!"

"Perhaps you will be included," Athena intoned calmly. "You have already stated that there is another Great Prophecy, perhaps that is why you are here."

"Either way," Apollo chimed in, "we can't worry about it now, we just have to read about it."

"And worry about it later?" Artemis suggested dryly.

"Well... yes."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Ares scoffed, "I want to know just who these two are," here he pointed at Hazel and Frank. "We established that they're from Camp Jupiter, but who are they?"

"Oh, um," Hazel glanced at Nico, "I'm Hazel Levesque. Daughter of Pluto."

"You are dead," Hades said flatly. "You did in the 1940's."

Hazel flinched. "W-well, yes, but I mean-"

"It's my fault," Nico said, bravely meeting his father's glare. "Let's just say that there was a little problem with the Doors of Death and I... I found her."

"Don'taskabouttheDoors!" Apollo said quickly before Hades could speak.

"What?" He spat.

"Don't ask about the Doors! We cannot know!"

Hades looked about ready to spit fire. "Fine!" He barked, "but why were you in there in the first place, boy?"

"I- I can't tell you."

"YOU-!"

"Leave him be!" Percy protested, glaring right back at Hades. "He can't tell you because it's part of the future that you haven't learnt yet! Not only that, but Hazel is a major part in the second Great Prophecy, for better or for worse, now leave them alone!"

Hades' eyes burned angrily as he glared at the son of Poseidon, but Percy did not back down. Poseidon looked over at his brother calmly.

"Hades," he said, "Percy is correct. Be calm."

"You ought to teach your brat some manners," Hades told him through gritted teeth.

"Then take it up with Zeus so that I may," Poseidon replied coolly.

At that, his elder brother looked over at him and after a long moment, nodded slowly and leant back in his chair. Ares rolled his eyes at looked at Frank.

"And you, punk?"

Frank looked confused for a moment before answering. "Um, I'm Frank Zhang, son of Mars and legacy of Poseidon."

Poseidon looked curious for a moment before chuckling idly. "That's quite a long ways back."

Frank smiled uneasily. "Yeah, you could say that."

"Hey look Percy," Thalia snickered, "now if we ever decide to do a kids of the Big Three face-off, you'll have a teammate."

"And we'd kick all of your asses," Percy teased.

"One of my kids?" Ares looked at him. "Huh. I expected more."

"Not one of _yours_," Aphrodite differentiated, "one of _Mars'_. There is a difference, darling."

Ares snorted. "Whatever."

"So... how many chapters are left in the book?" Percy asked, looking to Annabeth.

"Only one," Annabeth told him.

"I'll read it," Hazel offered. Taking the book, she opened it carefully. "Chapter Twenty: The Fleece Works Its Magic Too Well."

* * *

AHA! AND YOU ACTUALLY THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO MAKE YOU WAIT UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF THE THIRD BOOK! NOPE, HERE COMES PERCY! :D

Okay so, update time.

Guys, I have no freaking clue what's going to happen to my story. But you can sure as hell bet that I'm going to keep writing. I wanted to thank all of you, seriously, because you guys have been freaking awesome. Just note, that if this story is ever taken down, check back to my profile to see where I've sent it.

Now, normally, I don't just post a placeholder chapter without an actual chapter attached, but I fell off of my scheduling with all the drama that happened. I'll be posting the extra chapter on Friday (hopefully) and I'll be taking down my notice after a week. Presuming, of course, that my story hasn't been taken down.

Hope you all enjoyed, and thank you so much.

~LastTruth


	50. End of Sea of Monsters

**The Fleece Works its Magic Too Well**

"Err... what's that supposed to mean?" Leo frowned.

"Probably exactly what it says on the tin, Leo," Piper told him dryly.

"...good point."

**That afternoon was one of the happiest I'd ever spent at camp, which maybe goes to show, you never know when your world is about to be rocked to pieces.**

Annabeth snorted and Percy's hand tightened around hers.

**Grover announced that he'd be able to spend the rest of the summer with us before resuming his quest for Pan. **

"That's nice," Piper smiled.

**His bosses at the Council of Cloven Elders were so impressed that he hadn't gotten himself killed and had cleared the way for future searchers, that they granted him a two-month furlough and a new set of reed pipes. The only bad news: Grover insisted on playing those pipes all afternoon long, and his musical skills hadn't improved much. **

Apollo groaned. "That's just painful!"

"Yeah, you're telling us," Percy snorted, shaking his head.

**He played "YMCA," and the strawberry plants started going crazy, wrapping around our feet like they were trying to strangle us. I guess I couldn't blame them.**

A number of people chuckled at that and Percy ducked his head, faintly embarrassed.

**Grover told me he could dissolve the empathy link between us, now that we were face to face, but I told him I'd just as soon keep it if that was okay with him.**

Dionysus scoffed. "Unintelligent brat."

"Hey!" Percy defended. "I do have my reasons!"

"You still have the empathy link?" Poseidon asked, looking faintly disapproving.

"Well... yeah," Percy said, now looking uncomfortable.

"The book will probably tell us why..." Leo pointed out.

**He put down his reed pipes and stared at me. "But, if I get in trouble again, you'll be in danger, Percy! You could die!"**

"The least of it," Annabeth gave Percy a glare.

He grinned sheepishly and shrugged.

**"If you get in trouble again, I want to know about it. And I'll come help you again, G-man. I wouldn't have it any other way."**

"Your loyalty is admirable," Athena remarked, "but tis incredibly dangerous as well."

"Err... right," Percy muttered.

**In the end he agreed not to break the link. He went back to playing "YMCA" for the strawberry plants. I didn't need an empathy link with the plants to know how they felt about it.**

Apollo cackled and Percy grinned faintly.

**Later on during archery class, Chiron pulled me aside and told me he'd fixed my problems with Meriwether Prep. The school no longer blamed me for destroying their gymnasium. The police were no longer looking for me.**

"I had totally forgotten, to be honest," Percy remarked.

"I don't blame you," Nico said.

**"How did you manage that?" I asked.**

**Chiron's eyes twinkled. "I merely suggested that the mortals had seen something different on that day—a furnace explosion that was not your fault."**

"Smart," Annabeth nodded.

**"You just said that and they bought it?"**

**"I manipulated the Mist. Some day, when you're ready, I'll show how it's done."**

Percy grimaced, and Thalia cocked a brow.

**"You mean I can go back to Meriwether next year?"**

**Chiron raised his eyebrows. "Oh, no, they've still expelled you.**

Leo chortled.

**Your headmaster, Mr. Bonsai, said you had—how did he put it?—un-groovy karma that disrupted the school's educational aura.**

"Way to be un-groovy, Percy," Leo grinned.

"I guess I should never time-travel to the sixties, then," Percy snorted.

**But you're not in any legal trouble, which was a relief to your mother. Oh, and speaking of your mother..." He unclipped his cell phone from his quiver and handed it to me. "It's high time you called her."**

"I'd say," Hera sniffed.

**The worst part was the beginning—the "Percy-Jackson-what-were-you-thinking-do-you-have- any-idea-how-worried-I-was-sneaking-off-to-camp-wi thout-permission-going-on-dangerous-quests-and-sca ring-me-half-to-death"**

Hazel gasped in a breath before continuing.

**part.**

"Anticlimactic," Leo snickered when Hazel finished the sentence.

**But finally she paused to catch her breath. "Oh, I'm just glad you're safe!"**

**That's the great thing about my mom. She's no good at staying angry. She tries, but it just isn't in her nature.**

"She rolls with the waves?" Aphrodite giggled at her pun.

Poseidon snorted.

**"I'm sorry, Mom," I told her. "I won't scare you again."**

**"Don't promise me that, Percy. You know very well it will only get worse."**

A number of people flinched at that; Percy being the most notable exception.

**She tried to sound casual about it, but I could tell she was pretty shaken up.**

**I wanted to say something to make her feel better, but I knew she was right. Being a half-blood, I would always be doing things that scared her. And as I got older, the dangers would just get greater.**

"An unfortunate truth," Zeus rumbled. "One you would do best to remember."

"Duly noted," Percy said, his sarcasm just barely concealed with politeness, so Zeus could only glare at him.

**"I could come home for a while," I offered.**

**"No, no. Stay at camp. Train. Do what you need to do. But you _will _come home for the next school year?"**

"I don't think that was much of a question as a statement," Thalia snickered.

"Mother's worry, it's what they do best," Hera sniffed.

"Not all mother's," Thalia remarked flatly. Though, it was unclear if she was speaking of Hera or of her own mother.

**"Yeah, of course. Uh, if there's any school that will take me."**

Percy grinned sheepishly at that.

**"Oh, we'll find something, dear," my mother sighed. "Some place where they don't know us yet."**

"Lovely, beautiful NYC," Nico snorted. "I'm pretty sure the entire school board would have heard about you."

"Thanks, Nico," Percy said sarcastically.

**As for Tyson, the campers treated him like a hero. I would've been happy to have him as my cabinmate forever, but that evening,**

"Here we go," Piper muttered.

**as we were sitting on a sand dune overlooking the Long Island Sound, he made an announcement that completely took me by surprise.**

**"Dream came from Daddy**

Apollo coughed loudly.

**last night," he said. "He wants me to visit."**

Percy grimaced and looked away, avoiding his father's eyes.

**I wondered if he was kidding, but Tyson really didn't know how to kid. "Poseidon sent you a dream message?"**

**Tyson nodded. "Wants me to go underwater for the rest of the summer. Learn to work at Cyclopes' forges. He called it an inter—an intern—"**

**"An internship?"**

"That's... really cool," Leo said, his eyes lighting up.

**"Yes." I let that sink in. I'll admit, I felt a little jealous.**

Percy flushed and Poseidon's mouth twisted.

**Poseidon had never invited _me _underwater. But then I thought, Tyson was _going? _Just like that?**

**"When would you leave?" I asked.**

**"Now."**

"Ouch, give a guy some warning," Jason muttered.

"This _was_ his form of warning," Percy said dryly.

**"Now. Like... _now_ now?"**

**"Now."**

**I stared out at the waves in the Long Island Sound. The water was glistening red in the sunset.**

Apollo smirked.

**"I'm happy for you, big guy," I managed. "Seriously."**

"I was, I mean I am," Percy fumbled, "it's just..."

"We get it, Perce," Thalia told him.

**"Hard to leave my new brother," he said with a tremble in his voice. "But I want to make things. Weapons for the camp. You will need them."**

**Unfortunately, I knew he was right. The Fleece hadn't solved all the camp's problems. **

"Understatement," Annabeth muttered.

**Luke was still out there, gathering an army aboard the _Princess Andromeda. _Kronos was still re-forming in his golden coffin. Eventually, we would have to fight them.**

The gods looked grim.

**"You'll make the best weapons ever," I told Tyson. I held up my watch proudly. "I bet they'll tell good time, too."**

"Smooth," Leo snickered.

Percy frowned at him; he didn't mind when Thalia or Annabeth or Nico teased him, he knew they did it in jest. But he didn't really know Leo, and he didn't like the kid mocking him.

**Tyson sniffled. "Brothers help each other."**

**"You're my brother," I said. "No doubt about it."**

"That was kind of you," Hazel told him, looking up from the book.

"Yeah, well," Percy said, "it was a work-in-progress."

**He patted me on the back so hard he almost knocked me down the sand dune. Then he wiped a tear from his cheek and stood to go. "Use the shield well."**

"That's excellent grammar, wouldn't have expected that from him," Leo hummed.

"Tyson just uses clipped sentences; there's nothing wrong with the way he speaks," Percy said firmly.

Leo flung his hands up in defence. "Yeah, no, no, I got that! I just- you'd expect him to say 'use the shield good' or something... No harm meant, dude, Tyson's a bamf!"

"Percy..." Annabeth murmured, gripping his hand. "Stop."

Percy looked at her and sighed leaning back in his seat.

**"I will, big guy."**

**"Save your life some day."**

**The way he said it, so matter-of-fact, I wondered if that Cyclops eye of his could see into the future.**

Apollo smirked and whistled innocently.

**He headed down to the beach and whistled. Rainbow, the hippocampus, burst out of the waves. I watched the two of them ride off together into the realm of Poseidon.**

"Dude, verb-use of a name, pretty bad ass."

"Leo, that's all of the gods -more or less."

"Shhhh, Pipes, you're wrecking my flow!"

"Un-groovy."

"Well now, that's just rude."

**Once they were gone, I looked down at my new wristwatch. I pressed the button and the shield spiralled out to full size. Hammered into the bronze were pictures in Ancient Greek style, scenes from our adventures this summer.**

"That's cool," Jason said, "it's like his own version of Aegis."

"Aegis is still better," Thalia hummed.

"Whatever you say, Thals," Percy sniggered.

**There was Annabeth slaying a Laistrygonian dodgeball player, me fighting the bronze bulls on Half-Blood Hill, Tyson riding Rainbow toward the _Princess Andromeda, _the CSS _Birmingham_ blasting its cannons at Charybdis. I ran my hand across a picture of Tyson, battling the Hydra as he held aloft a box of Monster Donuts.**

"It's like his own story is imprinted on the shield," Piper said, glancing at Percy. "That's really cool."

Percy grinned a touch bashfully. "I'll tell Tyson that the next time I -uh-" the boy frowned, his grin dropping. "The, uh, next time I see him... I've... really missed a lot, haven't I?"

Annabeth gripped his hand tightly. "It wasn't your fault, Seaweed Brain, don't start," she told him lowly.

"Yeah..." Percy murmured, "right."

**I couldn't help feeling sad. I knew Tyson would have an awesome time under the ocean. But I'd miss everything about him—his fascination with horses, the way he could fix chariots or crumple metal with his bare hands, or tie bad guys into knots. I'd even miss him snoring like an earthquake in the next bunk all night.**

A few people chuckled.

**"Hey, Percy."**

**I turned.**

**Annabeth and Grover were standing at the top of the sand dune. I guess maybe I had some sand in my eyes, because I was blinking a lot.**

Aphrodite cooed and Apollo sniggered; Percy just flushed with embarrassment.

**"Tyson..." I told them. "He had to..."**

**"We know," Annabeth said softly. "Chiron told us."**

**"Cyclopes forges." Grover shuddered. "I hear the cafeteria food there is terrible! Like, no enchiladas _at all."_**

Leo cackled. "This guy, he totally has my priorities!"

"I don't think that's something to brag over," Piper teased.

"I don't know, it seems like Grover's got the right of it," Percy laughs.

**Annabeth held out her hand. "Come on, Seaweed Brain. Time for dinner."**

"Ooh, did you hold hands the entire way back?" Aphrodite asked, squealing faintly.

"Yes." Annabeth deadpanned, making more than just Percy snicker.

**We walked back toward the dining pavilion together, just the three of us, like old times.**

"And here we go," Jason said, "this is the top of the mountain before everything goes down, isn't it?"

"Like a roller coaster slope," Percy nodded.

**A storm raged that night, but it parted around Camp Half-Blood as storms usually did. Lightning flashed against the horizon, waves pounded the shore, but not a drop fell in our valley. We were protected again, thanks to the Fleece, sealed inside our magical borders.**

"That's really cool," Frank said, obviously impressed, "a little weird, but really cool."

Others did not look so impressed, their attention more tuned to the reason behind such a violent storm.

**Still, my dreams were restless. I heard Kronos taunting me from the depths of Tartarus:**

Poseidon grimaced darkly.

**_Polyphemus sits blindly in his cave, young hero, believing he has won a great victory. Are you any less deluded? _The titan's cold laughter filled the darkness.**

"Ominous..."

**Then my dream changed. I was following Tyson to the bottom of the sea, into the court of Poseidon.**

A number of people looked towards said god curiously, but Poseidon's face was a tumultuous mask.

**It was a radiant hall filled with blue light, the floor cobbled with pearls.**

Hades and Zeus exchanged looks.

**And there, on a throne of coral, sat my father, dressed like a simple fisherman in khaki shorts and a sun-bleached T-shirt. I looked up into his tan weathered face, his deep green eyes, and he spoke two words: _Brace yourself._**

"So we already know," Athena murmured, "but what..." her eyes fell upon Thalia. "Or whom..."

**I woke with a start.**

**There was a banging on the door. Grover flew inside without waiting for permission. **

**"Percy!" he stammered. "Annabeth... on the hill... she..."**

"You took it the wrong way," Annabeth murmured, looking up at Percy.

"How else was I meant to take it?" Percy scoffed. "Especially with what little information I had."

**The look in his eyes told me something was terribly wrong. Annabeth had been on guard duty that night, protecting the Fleece. If something had happened—I ripped off the covers, my blood like ice water in my veins.**

"Water analogies..."

"Hush, Leo..."

**I threw on some clothes while Grover tried to make a complete sentence, but he was too stunned, too out of breath. "She's lying there... just lying there…"**

Thalia's face was like stone.

**I ran outside and raced across the central yard, Grover right behind me. Dawn was just breaking, but the whole camp seemed to be stirring. Word was spreading. Something huge had happened.**

"I'd say..." Annabeth muttered.

**A few campers were already making their way toward the hill, satyrs and nymphs and heroes in a weird mix of armour and pyjamas.**

A few people snorted, but most were too focused on the tension.

**I heard the clop of horse hooves, and Chiron galloped up behind us, looking grim.**

**"Is it true?" he asked Grover.**

**Grover could only nod, his expression dazed.**

"Grim and dazed," Jason said, his voice incredibly quiet, "must be something incredibly serious."

"Obviously, dude," Leo muttered.

**I tried to ask what was going on, but Chiron grabbed me by the arm and effortlessly lifted me onto his back. Together we thundered up Half-Blood Hill, where a small crowd had started to gather.**

"Something that involves Percy specifically, then?" Poseidon remarked.

"Incredibly so," Percy said, meeting his father's eyes. Sea-green to sea-green.

**I expected to see the Fleece missing from the pine tree, but it was still there, glittering in the first light of dawn. The storm had broken and the sky was blood red.**

"A red sky dawns..." Piper shook her head, shivering faintly.

**"Curse the titan lord," Chiron said. "He's tricked us again, given himself another chance to control the prophecy."**

Thalia scowled darkly, an expression not missed by most.

**"What do you mean?" I asked.**

**"The Fleece," he said. "The Fleece did its work too well."**

The demigods who had been present, looked grim.

**We galloped forward, everyone moving out of our way. There at the base of the tree, a girl was lying unconscious. Another girl in Greek armour was kneeling next to her. Blood roared in my ears. I couldn't think straight. Annabeth had been attacked?**

Annabeth gripped his hand tightly.

**But why was the Fleece still there? The tree itself looked perfectly fine, whole and healthy, suffused with the essence of the Golden Fleece.**

**"It healed the tree," Chiron said, his voice ragged. "And poison was not the only thing it purged."**

"Son of a bitch..." Apollo breathed as those who had not yet caught on suddenly, well, caught on.

**Then I realized Annabeth wasn't the one lying on the ground. She was the one in armour, kneeling next to the unconscious girl.**

Thalia squeezed Annabeth's shoulder.

**When Annabeth saw us, she ran to Chiron. "It... she... just suddenly there…"**

**Her eyes were streaming with tears, but I still didn't understand. I was too freaked out to make sense of it all. I leaped off Chiron's back and ran toward the unconscious girl.**

"Thanks," Thalia whispered to him.

"Anytime," Percy smiled at her crookedly.

**Chiron said: "Percy, wait!"**

**I knelt by her side. She had short black hair and freckles across her nose. She was built like a long-distance runner, lithe and strong, and she wore clothes that were somewhere between punk and Goth—a black T-shirt, black tattered jeans, and a leather jacket with buttons from a bunch of bands I'd never heard of. **

Thalia straightened, glaring at anyone who dared to look at her with sympathy. What she didn't know, was that Nico and Percy were doing the exact same thing with her.

**She wasn't a camper. I didn't recognize her from any of the cabins. And yet I had the strangest feeling I'd seen her before...**

Thalia snorted at that, folding her arms defensively and feeling more than a little put on the spot.

**"It's true," Grover said, panting from his run up the hill. "I can't believe ..."**

**Nobody else came close to the girl.**

"Sorry, Thals," Annabeth told her.

"It's fine," Thalia said, "I would've been shocked too."

"No, you wouldn't've," Annabeth said, a knowing smile on her mouth.

**I put my hand on her forehead. Her skin was cold, but my fingertips tingled as if they were burning.**

**"She needs nectar and ambrosia," I said. She was clearly a half-blood, whether she was a camper or not. I could sense that just from one touch. I didn't understand why everyone was acting so scared.**

"Not yet," Jason commented.

**I took her by the shoulders and lifted her into sitting position, resting her head on my shoulder.**

Hera and Hestia both looked approving.

**"Come on!" I yelled to the others. "What's wrong with you people? Let's get her to the Big House."**

**No one moved, not even Chiron. They were all too stunned.**

Poseidon looked proud, a pleased smile on his mouth at his son's nature.

**Then the girl took a shaky breath. She coughed and opened her eyes.**

**Her irises were startlingly blue—electric blue.**

Jason traced the dip under his eye, knowing his own irises were the same as his sister's.

**The girl stared at me in bewilderment, shivering and wild-eyed. "Who—"**

**"I'm Percy," I said. "You're safe now."**

Thalia smiled, her defensive position slipping just the slightest.

**"Strangest dream…"**

**"It's okay."**

**"Dying."**

**"No," I assured her. "You're okay. What's your name?"**

**That's when I knew. Even before she said it.**

"Got there eventually," Leo snickered.

"Leo," Piper said, a touch of rebuke in her tone, "not the time," she whispered.

**The girl's blue eyes stared into mine, and I understood what the Golden Fleece quest had been about. The poisoning of the tree. Everything. Kronos had done it to bring another chess piece into play—_another chance to control the prophecy._**

Thalia's eyes hardened at that.

**Even Chiron, Annabeth, and Grover, who should've been celebrating this moment, were too shocked, thinking about what it might mean for the future. **

**And I was holding someone who was destined to be my best friend, or possibly my worst enemy.**

**"I am Thalia," the girl said. "Daughter of Zeus."**

"That's the book's end," Hazel said softly.

"Come on," Thalia said, standing swiftly. "Let's take a break for the rest of the day, I think we all need it."

And before anyone could say anything else, Thalia walked out.

* * *

First off, hello all!

Now then, I have -apparently- been reported. Again. And I have been told by an anonymous group named mysteriously as The Watchers, that it will take sometime but I will be taken down. If that's the case, then, well, alright; time to find a new place to post I guess.

Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this chapter. The next chapter should be up... Tuesday? Maybe? Don't quote me on that. Expect sometime between Tuesday-Thursday. I'm picking courses this weekend and whatnot, so that's going to be fun.

See you then!

~LastTruth


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